“The Mountain Experience: The Political, Social, and Moral Impact of Mountaineering” is a First-Year Seminar at Trinity taught by Anne Parmenter, Head Field Hockey Coach and conquerer of Mount Everest.  The group recently climbed the rocks of Ragged Mountain in Southington, Connecticut, as an outdoor classroom experience.

The course focuses on mountaineering literature and Mount Everest and specifically examines the known facts of the Mallory and Irvine expedition. It also explores the first ascents of the Matterhorn, the north face of the Eiger, and other great peaks of the world. The books chosen are socially engaging and morally uplifting stories, sometimes even revealing the dark side of human behavior. The objective is to discuss present day mountaineering and its ethical and moral dilemmas, and, through the literature, learn how the mountains of the world have shaped many lives.