Once upon a time a very unlikely mountain climber found herself stitched up in gortex, fleece, crampons and plastic boots on the side of a mountain in Bolivia. It was very cold, very unexpected, and very beautiful.

This was my first time on a mountain over 6000 metres, and lucky for me, I was on the 'hill' with our First Lady of mountaineering, Sue Fear. She was already a sensitive, determined, compassionate explore of the heights, and I was a writer exploring the strange nooks and crannies of people and the world we live in. We found out that we had a lot in common - mountaineers and writers. We struggled over hurdles, often ones we made for ourselves, but rejoiced in the simple things - beauty, friends, self-confidence and focus. The mountain was a place where it was really possible for us to be our best, and share it! Thinking about the next step, being present every moment, not caring about the state of our hair, skin, bank account, wardrobe, garden, career or fingernails released the most amazing things - joy, love, energy and zest for life!

Sue and I agreed that there was a certain kind of magic on mountains for women - a special place for us to be touched by the world in a wonderful way, and to leave behind us some of the baggage that we drag around - it's just too heavy to take along! Girls on Top is a small contribution to this idea, and to the immense and influential work that Sue did in her life toward empowering women, challenging the 'boofy' blokes and shattering some of the silly ideas girls get, which hold us all back.

Her death on Manaslu in Nepal this May is a real loss, but Sue's life is a reminder that there is so much we can do if we just keep choosing the things that truly inspire us.

Jade