Allie Pepper climbing peaks

Allie Pepper is an experienced Australian mountaineer with 23 years of climbing under her belt.

 She considers mountain climbing not only a passion but also her business. Her current record-breaking project is to climb to the true summits of all 14 of the world’s 8,000m peaks without additional oxygen in the world’s fastest time, with an aim to complete the challenge by June 2025. The current world record is 16 years, and Allie wants to do it in just over two years!

When asked about what support she receives, Allie reveals, “I have four coaches: I have two coaches for physical training; one business coach; and one life coach who is a transformational coach in terms of my mindset – and this is the most important coach.”

Allie Pepper camping on the summit

Allie grew up in the Blue Mountains, Australia’s largest climbing area, but did not discover rock climbing until she signed up for an Outdoor Recreation course at a local TAFE College when she was 23. “In 1999 I joined a TAFE course,” recalls Allie. “It was after a time of travelling around India and Nepal on a spiritual quest to find who I was because I didn’t have a career at the time – I failed high school and was doing casual jobs. I was such a hippie!” She found her career path in Outdoor Leadership and completed a 10-day technical mountaineering course in New Zealand in December 1999, which changed her life and ignited her passion for the sport.

After completing her Leadership course, Allie began working as an assistant guide on her first high-altitude mountain, Aconcagua in Argentina where she says, “one of the big challenges in south America was being one of the only female guides. How I overcame it was to be stronger and smarter than the boys!” Since that first expedition, she has spent around three years climbing and guiding in the Andes before deciding to tackle the Himalaya.

In 2007, she embarked on her first 8000m expedition to Cho Oyu 8,188m in Tibet, climbing to the summit and back on her own without the use of supplemental oxygen in just eight days, an achievement only a handful of women in the world have accomplished. “Nowadays, I feel I don’t need to prove myself as I did in South America. These days, the challenges are not about being the only female, but about the conditions, the weather on the mountain, and overcoming those is all about making the right decisions.”

Top of the peak

When asked what advice she would give to other aspiring mountaineers, Allie cheekily says, “everyone has their peak, or their Everest! The things that I learn when I climb can help others in their lives because it’s not about me doing this project and implying others should do the same thing. It’s doing something that people think is not possible, and taking an inspiration from that to say what is it in my life that I can do if I was a little bit braver. You don’t have to do these things alone. Some people have trouble asking for help or may think people don’t want to help, but a lot of the time, it’s not true and it’s just in out head – we stop ourselves from being [our] best version.”

Allie has 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 14 of the 8000m peaks. She has also attempted both Lhotse and Makalu without the use of supplemental oxygen.

“I maintain a clear mind in whatever situation because I face death a lot, especially on the 8,000m mountain. There [are] avalanches all around me, people get into trouble, people die, there’s accidents, there’s storms, there’s a lot of difficulty. So, in terms of overcoming those challenges, it’s a mental game of keeping it altogether.”

During her expeditions, she continues to learn more about her capabilities, which she takes with her to the next mountain. Her next project will be a test of strength, endurance, time, commitment and sharp decision-making skills. “In terms of the logistics of the project, its huge,” said Allie. “I have partnered with the biggest company in Nepal. They own a helicopter company, employ over 1,000 people, have base camps on all the 8,000m peaks including China, so they are the best logistics provider for this project. In Pakistan and Nepal there are local people, the porters and sherpa I climb with. It’s difficult to do this without a lot of people.”

Allie Pepper climbing up the side of the peak

Allie’s passion lies in continuing to pursue what she loves on the world’s highest peaks, as it is where her spirit is truly free. Scaling these peaks poses a significant challenge owing to their extreme altitude, unpredictable weather conditions, and technical complexities, thus necessitating meticulous planning, physical prowess, and proficiency in mountaineering skills.

What are the 14 Peaks?

The “14 peaks” is a term commonly used to refer to the 14 mountains in the Himalayas that are over 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) in height. These peaks are some of the most challenging and dangerous in the world to climb and are a popular goal for mountaineers.

The 14 peaks are:

  1. Mount Everest (8,848 metres / 29,029 feet) – the highest peak in the world, located on the border between Nepal and Tibet.
  1. K2 (8,611 metres / 28,251 feet) – the second highest peak in the world, located on the border between Pakistan and China.
  1. Kangchenjunga (8,586 metres / 28,169 feet) – located on the border between Nepal and India.
  1. Lhotse (8,516 metres / 27,940 feet) – located on the border between Nepal and Tibet, connected to Everest by the South Col.
  1. Makalu (8,485 metres / 27,838 feet) – located on the border between Nepal and Tibet.
  1. Cho Oyu (8,188 metres / 26,864 feet) – located on the border between Nepal and Tibet.
  1. Dhaulagiri (8,167 metres / 26,795 feet) – located in Nepal.
  1. Manaslu (8,163 metres / 26,781 feet) – located in Nepal.
  1. Nanga Parbat (8,126 metres / 26,660 feet) – located in Pakistan.
  1. Annapurna I (8,091 metres / 26,545 feet) – located in Nepal.
  1. Gasherbrum I (8,080 metres / 26,509 feet) – located on the border between Pakistan and China.
  1. Broad Peak (8,051 metres / 26,414 feet) – located on the border between Pakistan and China.
  1. Gasherbrum II (8,035 metres / 26,362 feet) – located on the border between Pakistan and China.
  1. Shishapangma (8,013 metres / 26,289 feet) – located in Tibet, the only peak among the 14 that is wholly within China.

Original article: https://keepingnewslocal.com.au/exclusive-interview-mount-everest-is-no-match-for-allie-peppers-world-breaking-attempt-at-climbing-14-of-the-worlds-tallest-peaks/