About Me
I am an Australian mountaineer with 23 years of climbing experience. Mountaineering is my passion, it's a sport that continually challenges me in every way.
I believe the biggest challenges offer the greatest rewards in life. It is during these challenges that we discover what we are truly capable of. My current project is to climb to the true summits of all 14 of the worlds 8000m peaks without additional oxygen, in the world's fastest time. I aim to complete this challenge in less than 3 years. There are currently only two men in the world that have verified ascents of all 14 x 8000m peaks true summits without oxygen. They took 16 years to complete their projects.
MY BACKGROUND
I grew up in Australia’s largest climbing area, the Blue Mountains. However I didn’t discover rock climbing until I was 23 when I signed up to an Outdoor Recreation course at a local TAFE College. I found a career path that I enjoyed and was naturally quite good at, so continued to study Outdoor Leadership. I completed a 10 day technical mountaineering course in New Zealand in December, 1999. This changed my life as I found a sport that I was passionate about. When I finished my Leadership course I headed off to Aconcagua in Argentina to work as an assistant guide on my first high altitude mountain. I felt very strong on the mountain as I was able to take care of others not just myself, so I pursued high altitude mountaineering.
Since that first expedition, mountain climbing has changed the course of my life. I spent around 3 years climbing and guiding in the Andes before I decided I was ready for the Himalaya. In 2007 I embarked on my first 8000m expedition to Cho Oyu 8188m in Tibet. In 8 days I climbed to the summit and back on my own without the use of supplemental oxygen. Only a handful of women in the world have achieved this.
I have reached the summit of Everest, the fore-summit of Manaslu and in April 2022 became the third Australian to achieve the summit of Annapurna 1, the most dangerous of all the fourteen 8000m peaks. I have also attempted Everest, Lhotse and Makalu without the use of supplemental oxygen. On May 24th 2023, I reached a height of 8450m on Everest without oxygen. This is the highest altitude that any Australian woman has been without using supplemental oxygen.
It is my passion to continue doing what I love on the worlds highest peaks, as that is where my spirit is free. In doing so, I aim to show that it is possible to live your dreams and achieve your goals no matter how big or challenging they may seem.
2023 ACHIEVEMENT
Climbed to 8450m without supplemental oxygen on Mt Everest on May 24th. I turned around due to the wind and conditions on the mountain. This is the highest altitude an Australian women has reached without the use of oxygen.
ASCENTS OVER 5000m:
Manaslu, Nepal 8163m without supplementary oxygen September 2023
Broadpeak, Pakistan 8051m without supplementary oxygen July 2023
Ama Dablam, Nepal 6812m October 2022
Annapurna 1, Nepal 8091m April 2022
Lobuche East, Nepal 6119m April 2011, April 2017*
Imja Tse (Island Peak), Nepal 6189m April 2008*, April 2017*
Aconcagua, Argentina 6962m via Plaza Argentina January 2007*, Febuary 2007*, February 2014*, January 2017*, February 2017* and February 2019*
Cerro Vallecitos, Argentina 5435m February 2017
Manaslu fore-summit, Nepal 8159m May 2012
Everest, Nepal 8848m May 2011
Mera Peak, Nepal 6476m May 2008*
Cho Oyu, Tibet 8188m without supplementary oxygen May 2007
Aconcagua via the Guanacos Valley route Febuary 2004*, December 2004*, January 2005*, Febuary 2005*
Maparaju, Peru 5326m August 2004*
Artesonraju, Peru 6025m via the Southeast Face August 2004
Huascaran Norte, Peru 6664m July 2004*
Vallunaraju, Peru 5686m & 5600m August 2003 and July 2004*
La Esphinge, Peru 5650m August 2003
Ishinca, Peru 5530m July 2003*
Cerro Franke, Argentina 4880m October 2002
Alpamayo, Peru 5947m via the Ferrari route August 2002
Toclaraju, Peru 6032m July 2002
Urus, Peru 5420m July 2002 & July 2003*
Chopicalchi, Peru 6345m July 2002
Pisco, Peru 5752m July 2002
Cerro Ramada, Argentina 6384m Febuary 2001
Cerro Plata, Argentina 5958m January 2001 and March 2007
Aconcagua, Argentina 6962m via the Falso Polacos route December 2000*
*Guided these peaks with clients.