'Nursing has given me the strength to take on Everest'
A woman is climbing Mount Everest as part of a challenge to summit seven of the world's highest peaks, which aims to shine a light on the strength of nurses.Rowena Rowberry, 34, is a nurse and lecturer in nursing at the University of Derby, and hopes to scale the world's highest mountain by the end of May."I think nursing builds up a lot of strength in you, physically and psychologically, which is a huge thing when you're doing high-altitude mountaineering," she said.Rowena, from Hatton in Derbyshire, has already climbed three mountains, starting with Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa in January 2024 which she described as "an impulse decision".
Rowena says she is aiming to raise money for the Royal College of Nursing Foundation and to shine a light on the hardships of nursing."I think I'm still a little bit in denial, and I have been on every mountain that I've climbed," she said."There will be a point where I'm facing the harsh realities of Mount Everest where I think 'what am I doing?'"But what an experience, I'm so lucky to be here. I'm just taking it in my stride."Rowena said she had not climbed anything in the UK higher than Thorpe Cloud in the Peak District when she took on the 19,340ft (5,895m) Mount Kilimanjaro."I did not think that in 18 months' time after doing Kilimanjaro I would be at the base of Mount Everest," she added.
Rowena then took on Mount Elbrus in Russia in August 2024 and the Aconcagua in Argentina in February 2025.She is part of a team of four people going up Everest, along with four Sherpas."It's absolutely stunning, but we're itching to get started now," Rowena said. "I really want to see what the real heavy climb is all about and get these legs and arms working and get myself to the top."
Rowena says she thinks there are "a lot of qualities that come with nursing that have enabled me to do what I do". "Things like having a sense of focus, drive and determination and strength as well," she added.After Mount Everest, Rowena will have three remaining mountains to tackle, Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, Mount McKinley in the US and Mount Vinson in Antarctica.
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Sky News
29-05-2025
- Sky News
Mount Everest suffers traffic jams as climbers battle harsh weather - with beginners not helping
Mount Everest has suffered "traffic jams" this month, as climbers battled harsh weather to make it to the summit. Hundreds of climbers and their Sherpa guides signed up to scale the famous mountain in May, struggling against deteriorating weather on the world's highest mountain. Ahead of the end of the climbing season, at the end of May, a large number of climbers made the dash for the 8,849m (29,032ft) peak. Due to the limited windows of good weather near the summit, large numbers of climbers lined up, attached to the single safety rope, which is known as the " Everest traffic jam". An influx of beginner climbers was also said to have contributed to the long queues. "Overall on Everest, weather is the key and it was not same as the forecast, said Pasang Rinji Sherpa. "And secondly, it was crowded because both professionals and beginners were there at the same time." Pasang Rinji has climbed the peak twice. He said that only select or qualified climbers should be allowed to make the push for the peak, to make the experience safer and easier for all. "Right now, there are beginners with no experience or knowledge and professionals at the same time, and this is causing the problem," he said. "There should be basic knowledge for the climbers to use gear properly and be safe while climbing Everest." According to Nepal's Department of Mountaineering, 468 foreign climbers from 57 countries were given permits to climb Everest by the end of May - along with a roughly equal number of Nepalese mountain guides. Six-time Everest summiteer Jenjen Lama said the weather was this year's biggest hurdle. "The weather was very difficult to predict, and the forecast would be great for the following day, but on the day the weather would deteriorate every hour or so," he said. Although several climbers managed to scale the Nepalese mountain, the harsh weather made it too difficult for many. However, famed Sherpa guide Kami Rita reached the Everest summit for the 31st time Tuesday, breaking his own record for the most climbs to the top of the mountain. Queues on Mount Everest are not uncommon, with the mountain's popularity among thrill seekers. Thursday marked the 72nd anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- The Guardian
Peak speed: Sherpas say their traditions are at risk after record Everest ascents
There is nothing unusual about records being broken on Mount Everest. But last week, two sets of climbers turned heads with ascents that many had never thought possible: they went straight up from sea level to the world's highest summit in less than a week. On Wednesday, a team of four UK climbers, all ex-special forces soldiers, summited Everest having landed from London just over four days earlier. The following day, US-Ukrainian climber Andrew Ushakov said he had gone from New York to the top of Everest in under four days. With Everest standing at a staggering 8,849 metres, scaling safely to the top usually requires spending several weeks acclimatising at a lower altitude, normally Everest base camp, so the body can adjust to the lower level of oxygen. Without this acclimatisation, most climbers would sicken or die in the final stages of summiting due to the thin oxygen levels above 8,000 metres, known as the 'death zone'. Altitude sickness accounts for almost as many deaths as falls and avalanches on Everest. But using new methods and technologies, both the UK team and Ushakov acclimatised before even arriving on the mountain in Nepal, meaning they could skip base camp entirely. Some expedition leaders have claimed these pre-acclimatisation methods mark a new frontier in Everest mountaineering, increasing safety while reducing the two biggest blights on the mountain: rubbish and human waste. However, others – including the Nepalese sherpas whose culture and employment is hugely reliant on leading expeditions up to the highest peak of the Himalayas – have expressed concern that speedier ascents could heavily affect the local economy. There are also worries it will put even more pressure on the mountain, increasing the number of people ascending every season. Nepal typically issues about 400 permits for Everest each year, each valid for 90 days, with no rules for how long climbers spend on the mountain. There are concerns it could encourage more inexperienced climbers to go up by significantly cutting expedition times. Last year was one of the deadliest on record on Everest, which experts partly blamed on the numbers of novices attempting the climb. 'Climbing in just four or five days goes against traditional values and norms that we sherpas have always held,' says Nima Nuru Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. 'I believe the true significance of climbing Everest lies in the traditional way it has been approached, and acclimatising on the mountain is an important part of that. Just because technology exists, does that mean we allow anything?' The Nepal tourism ministry confirmed to the Guardian it had opened an investigation into the legality and ethics of the methods used by the climbers. 'The use of new technology of acclimatisation, such as in the medical lab or in an artificial environment, is a new issue for Nepal,' says Himal Gautam, director of Nepal's tourism industry. 'We understand we have to cope with the emerging technologies and innovation and we are not necessarily against it, but it does raise some issues. 'Our main concern is that there must be fair play and equal treatment to all the mountaineers.' Particularly controversial is the UK team's use of xenon gas, a still experimental method of promoting oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the body, which is a core component of acclimatisation. Use of xenon – otherwise known as an anaesthetic – in high-altitude climbing does not have any recognised scientific backing. The gas is also on the list of substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency for its potential performance enhancing qualities, though that body has no jurisdiction over mountaineering. Its use by the British climbers last week was championed by their expedition guide Lukas Furtenbach, a renowned Austrian mountaineer who has been experimenting with xenon at high altitudes since 2020 after being approached by a German doctor and researcher. Furtenbach said that his own and others' experiences of using xenon, including on Everest in three previous years, had demonstrated that it not only sped up acclimatisation but also lowered lung pressure and cardio pressure at altitude, making it much safer and more comfortable. 'It's been clear to me we are ahead of the science on this,' he said. The gas was given to the British climbers in a clinic in Germany two weeks before they flew to Nepal, in a 30-minute treatment not unlike going under anaesthetic. The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation warned in January that, in the absence of clear evidence, xenon use on the mountains could be 'dangerous'. However Furtenbach was adamant that last week's Everest ascent proved it should be celebrated as a leap of progress. 'A one-week climb puts so much less strain on the mountain; less oxygen, less human excretion, less food to be carried, less of a burden on the sherpas, less garbage left behind,' he said. 'At a time when people are saying the environmental pressures on Everest are becoming unsustainable, this would reduce the carbon footprint dramatically.' He pushed back on allegations that climbers who used xenon would have an unfair competitive advantage over others. 'Our goal here is not breaking speed records,' said Furtenbach. 'I believe this is the next step in safe and responsible high-altitude mountaineering.' Ushakov meanwhile says he did not use xenon gas for his four-day climb. Instead he says he relied solely on hypoxic tents to acclimatise over months in his New York apartment, a technology also used by the UK team alongside their gas treatment. Rented for use at home – and mostly used at night while sleeping – these tents create low oxygen environments in order to get the body to adapt to the same conditions as high on the mountain. It is neither a fast nor easy process. Ushakov spent more than 400 hours, over several months, sleeping and preparing inside the tent in order to fully and safely acclimatise for his Everest climb. Though not new, the hypoxic tent technology is still only used by roughly 10-15% of climbers scaling the world's highest peaks. However, Brian Oestrike, CEO of Hypoxico which makes the tents, said their global popularity had significantly increased this year. 'This whole Everest season has been pretty crazy for us,' he said. 'Around 70 rentals just in North America alone.' Oestrike said he did not believe that use of the tents – which usually cost between $1,500 to $2,000 to rent – should be considered 'cheating' when it came to climbing the world's tallest peaks. 'The majority of our clientele are not trying to climb faster, they're just trying to have a safer expedition,' he said. 'I'm of the view that a climb is each person's own accomplishment and how they choose to use this technology is up to them.' But Khimlal Gautam, surveyor of the team that measured the new height of Everest in 2019, says there are bigger questions at play. 'Tomorrow, there might be technology that allows helicopters to reach the very tip of Everest's summit. If that happens, what will we do?' he said. 'Now is finally the time to develop a firm code of ethics for mountaineering.'
Reuters
27-05-2025
- Reuters
Nepali Sherpa scales Mount Everest for a record 31st time
KATHMANDU, May 27 (Reuters) - Nepali Sherpa guide Kami Rita scaled Mount Everest for the 31st time on Tuesday, breaking the record he set last year. The 55-year-old reached the 8,849-metre (29,032 foot) peak - the highest in the world - by the traditional southeast ridge route while guiding a 22-member Indian army team, officials said, adding that 27 other Sherpas also accompanied the group. "He is a very passionate climber," said Pasang Phurba, director of the Seven Summit Treks company for which Kami Rita works, adding that Kami Rita was currently descending to lower camps. Kami Rita, who uses only his first name, first climbed Everest in 1994 and has done so every year except for three years when authorities closed the mountain to climbers for various reasons. More than 8,000 people have climbed Mount Everest since it was first scaled by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. After Kami Rita, another Sherpa, Pasang Dawa, has ascended Everest the most with 29 climbs. Among non-Sherpa climbers, the record is held by British guide Kenton Cool who has accomplished the feat 19 times, followed by American climbers Dave Hahn and Garrett Madison with 15 times each. One of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks and is heavily reliant on climbing, trekking, and tourism for foreign exchange. Guiding foreign climbers to Everest and other peaks provides crucial family income to many Sherpas. Authorities have issued 468 permits to climbers for Everest this March-May climbing season, and more than 300 climbers and Sherpas have already scaled the peak, officials said. Two climbers are known to have died on the mountain this month and there have also been unconfirmed reports of other deaths.
