Posted: Mar 26, 2009 12:47 pm EDT
(MountEverest.net) They say that what doesn't kill us, strengthens us. As a young girl, Basque female climber Edurne Pasaban just wanted to climb with friends and have some fun.

K2 changed all that. In 2004, its summit cost Edurne two toes, weeks in hospital, and a year-long depression.

Edurne took a deep look inside and came back sharper, wiser and sure of her goal: to become the world's first female 14x8000ers summiteer. Before her departure Monday for Kangchenjunga, she sat down for a chat with fellow Spaniard Angela Benavides, mountain editor at ExplorersWeb.

ExplorersWeb: Gerlinde, Nives and you are equal with 11 summits. But you are the only one stating to be aiming for all 14?

Edurne: Yes, that’s how it is. It’s my project – to complete the 14x8000ers list, and to do it as soon as possible, so why should I deny it? As for Gerl and Nives, well – they may not say it, but in fact they’re pursuing the same goal as me. Just look at their plans: Nives’ got a permit for Kangchenjunga and Annapurna this spring, while Gerlinde is attempting Lhotse and possibly K2 in summer.

ExplorersWeb: When did you actually decide to go for the 14x8000ers?

Edurne: Not so long ago, actually. In 2007, after summiting Broad Peak and while planning 2008, I had five 8000ers more to go. That's when it hit me for the first time I really could make it - and really wanted to. Then last year I summited Dhaula and Manaslu – and that helped a lot too!

ExplorersWeb: Kangchenjunga is next. What are your expectations about the mountain?

Edurne: It’s going to be long, indeed. I’m particularly concerned about the summit day. Everyone I’ve asked for details told me it's exhausting.

There are 1,000 vertical meters of difficult terrain between the upper camp and the top. I met Gerlinde in Munich last week and she warned me: “Once you reach the rocky outcrop when the slope seems to decline – you’ll have at least two more hours to the summit. So prepare your mind for that, don’t think you’ve got it when you get there,” she said.

ExplorersWeb: So you and Gerlinde stay in touch?

Edurne: Sure! We are very good friends, and usually talk on the phone for any reason. It’s funny, because we are so similar and so different at the same time. Gerl is a superb climber, smart and strong – but she’s also a wonderful person.

Her Austrian mentality is so different from the Spanish temperament – which leads to heaps of funny situations – especially because we’re always kidding her and she’ll buy everything - we laugh a lot on every expedition we meet! Last year, everyone in our team conspired to get her drunk at our return to Kathmandu - but there was no way; the girl just doesn’t drink at all!

ExplorersWeb: Some have criticized your expedition style-climbing; but you guys are also filming a documentary. What are your comments?

Edurne: It’s difficult to explain what it takes to film and climb at the same time, mostly at high altitude. You can’t just run for the top. We are paid by TV not to summit a peak, but to film a documentary – and they’ll accept no excuses if we come back without footage enough. It's a great responsibility.

Most of this hard work falls on Ferran Latorre. Al Filo assigns a filming crew up to BC, but from that point to the top – it’s all on Ferran - a very tough and often underestimated job.

ExplorersWeb: Would you climb differently if you didn’t have to film?

Edurne: I’d change some things, yes. If we were just climbing, I’d like to launch smaller teams going lighter - something like Gerlinde’s expeditions: two to four climbers, including one photographer taking pics from time to time, no more.

Such expeditions are also easier to lead and organize. Large teams demand a great deal of work before and during the expedition. Base camp management in particular always ends up quite stressful – there are decisions to be made and problems to be solved all the time.

ExplorersWeb: So you are the main expedition leader?

Edurne: Yes, I am. I take care of everything: planning the goal, defining the expedition strategy, finding the funds and gear, dealing with local outfitters and paperwork, managing BC, establishing the expedition’s stages, checking weather forecasts, etc.

ExplorersWeb: Are you the one to taking the main decisions high up as well?

Edurne: I am – although I share my thoughts and opinions with the rest of the team. They are all extremely experienced and skilled.

ExplorersWeb: How have you evolved from being just one member in the team, to take on expedition leadership?

Edurne: Circumstances, I guess. On previous Al Filo expeditions, while Juanito Oiarzabal was in the team, he would decide – he’s a natural-born leader. But then he left and I was assigned to take the lead; not because I was the best climber (which I am not), but perhaps because I had been in many expeditions and knew how things work.

ExplorersWeb: And how does it feel to be the boss?

Edurne: He, he – I like it. No, really, I prefer doing things by myself instead of having everything fixed for me.

ExplorersWeb: What happened on Shisha last fall?

Edurne: We had a tight deadline and a permit already granted for Shisha so, right after summiting Manaslu, we literally ran for Tibet.

Maybe I was a bit overconfident. It was so cold when we reached BC and only then did I realize how tired I was after Manaslu. My feet were in a poor state and I hesitated. The team was great. It was they who commonly decided we should just turn around and go home, with a lesson learned.

ExplorersWeb: On Annapurna two years ago, difficult conditions forced you (and others, such as Iñaki Ochoa) back on summit day, while Iván Vallejo, Andrew Lock and Serguey Bogomolov continued towards the top. How does it feel to descend and wait for news?

Edurne: How does it feel? Awful! I was so worried I couldn’t believe it – and it was a new experience too. When you’re up on the mountain going for the summit, you’re so focused that you forget about the rest of the world. You don’t think of the ones caring and worrying about you. Sometimes you even forget to call the crew in BC!

But being down there in Annapurna’s BC, waiting for Ivan and the others’ call over the radio, looking at the mountain hoping they’re doing fine, I realized how tough it is – something not to forget.

ExplorersWeb: Having gone this far – what's your take on others debating your expedition style and decisions?

Edurne: Opinions are welcomed – but some fierce critics still hurt. I honestly climb what I can climb. People may say I should go and open new routes in alpine style on huge Himalayan walls – but I just can’t; I am simply not good enough.

Not yet, at least. Look, getting to where I am and realizing what I want has been a long, hard road. Now that I know myself and my goals, I feel better than ever. I am climbing the mountains my way, and definitely enjoying it.

It wasn't always like that, though. After I summited Everest, I just let myself go – people would invite me to take part in expeditions, and I just couldn't refuse all the cool offers.

But it was not me who decided whether I wanted to climb this or that peak – I would just join other’s plans. My question at the end of each season was not “which peak do I want to climb next?” but “who’s climbing next year so I can return to the Himalayas.”

8000ers started piling up that way. And then I was offered to climb K2 – a mountain I was not prepared for. Still, I would be part of a great team, I could become the first Spanish woman to reach that summit, the expedition was well funded… I couldn’t refuse and so off I went. And summited. And paid a high toll for it.

And my entire world just crumbled around me. It was the most difficult time of my life. But hey, I overcame it. I am back, and now I really know what I want: to summit all 14 8000ers. Moreover, now I am sure that I can do it.

Edurne Pasaban was born in Tolosa (Spanish Basque Country) in 1973. She has only Kangchenjunga, Annapurna and Shisha Pangma to go, in order to complete the 14x8000ers list – a feat never achieved by a female climber.

On March 30th she is setting off for Kangchenjunga, planning to climb from the south side without supplementary O2. Teaming up with Edurne are Juanito Oiarzabal, Ferrán Latorre, Jorge Egocheaga, Alex Chicon and Asier Izaguirre. In fall this year, she hopes to attempt Shisha Pangma.

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