Lydia Bradey (born 9 October 1961) is a New Zealand mountaineer.
Bradey took up mountain climbing as a teenager; she went on her first wilderness expedition at the age of 14, and by 17 she had climbed to the summits of Mount Cook and Mount Aspiring.
In 1987 she was probably the first woman in the world to climb an “8000er”, alpine-style (one push, bottom to summit) and without oxygen.
Lydia Bradey of New Zealand became the first woman to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. On October 14, 1988, Bradey reached the summit of Everest, making her the first female climber to accomplish this feat.
Bradey’s solo, oxygen-free ascent was a remarkable achievement. At the time, many in the climbing community doubted it was possible for a human to function at Everest’s high altitudes without supplemental oxygen.
