Bianca Adler, 17, is already the youngest female to reach the summit of Manaslu and Ama Dablam, but her ambitions to conquer Mount Everest have hit serious problems
Bianca Adler was so close to conquering Everest (stock)(Image: LSP1982 via Getty Images)
A teenage girl attempting to climb Mount Everest has been lauded on social media after she opened up on the physical toll four days in the mountain’s ‘Death Zone’ had taken on her, before her situation worsened. The process of climbing Everest is complex and typically requires climbers to spend months in both physical and mental training, as well as acclimatising to the high altitudes.
Bianca Adler, 17, is already the youngest female to reach the summit of Manaslu [the world’s eighth-highest mountain at 8,163 metres] and Ama Dablam [6,812 metres], and now she has set her sights on the world’s highest peak. The teen has been documenting her progress, with her latest TikTok video going viral, amassing a staggering 26 million views in just 24 hours.
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In the clip, Bianca shared footage of herself struggling to catch her breath after returning to her camp. Climbers are required to complete their ascent in stages, working their way upwards via several camps along the perilous route.
The ‘Death Zone’ sits at the ridge of Everest’s summit, some 8,000 metres above sea level and close to its peak of 8,849 metres. It is so named because the pressure of oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life for an extended period.
Camp 2, meanwhile, which is located on the expedition’s more popular South Route, sits at approximately 6,553 metres high – and it is the trek there from Base Camp (5,364 meters) that Bianca is currently mastering.
Struggling to speak, she whispered: “I just got back from Camp 2 and I’m at Base Camp and I feel horrible.” Wheezing and fighting for breath, she continued: “My throat and my lungs… I’m so out of breath even though yesterday I was at 8,000 metres. I’m feeling the worst I have ever felt.”
In a follow-up video posted on Tuesday (September 23), a disheartened Bianca revealed that she later reached Camp 4 (7,925 metres) but was “devastated” after being forced to retreat for her own safety. “It’s so hard. I was feeling so good and so strong but I had to turn around due to something out of my control,” she revealed, with the assistance of an oxygen mask. “I can’t do anything about that and it would have been stupid to carry on.”
She elaborated on the grave situation on Instagram: “I had to turn around on Mt Everest at 8,450m (400m below the summit). The winds were way too strong for what I believed was right for my own safety. I could feel my hands and toes going numb, the first step of frostbite.
“I couldn’t see anything, there was snow blowing everywhere. It was an extremely tough decision, but I always want to choose life over a potential summit. I felt strong, like I could summit, and was devastated.”
Bianca went on: “The next night, my Sherpa guides and I tried again from Camp 4, but I was too exhausted from the 10-hour effort the previous night, and turned around. After three nights, and almost four days in the Death Zone at 8,000m or above, we descended back down to Camp 2.”
She added: “On the summit push, dad got sick and stayed at Camp 2 whilst I went up. On the way down, he was still sick and I was exhausted. We both got diagnosed with HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema) and dehydration (which is normal for mountaineering). I still feel quite sick and extremely exhausted so taking time to recover.”
Dozens of other mountaineers were quick too commend Bianca’s attempts, however, providing words of support and encouragement. “I’m more impressed by how you handled this situation than if you would have pushed yourself to the top… now you can live another day,” one of them replied on Instagram. “That is what’s important. A true warrior.”
Another individual observed: “Such a great effort and the summit isn’t what matters the most, sounds like it was extremely hard and you had to push yourself far but still had to make a tough, but correct decision, which is one of the most valuable and fulfilling experiences you can have in the mountains. So proud!”
Whilst a third person admitted: “I can’t even imagine how tough that decision was, but safety is always paramount and you made the correct choice. The mountains will always be there girl, well done and massive congratulations on everything you’ve achieved this season.”
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