Last week National Geographic announced the winner of their 2011 “People’s Choice” Adventurer of the Year, handing the award over to Spanish mountaineer Edurne Pasaban who claimed the foremost votes in an internet poll of Nat Geo readers. The 37-year previous Pasaban become the primary lady to summit all fourteen of the world’s 8000+ meter peaks by successfully climbing each Annapurna (8091 meters/26,545 ft) and Shishapangma (8013 meters/26,289 ft) in a very span of simply a couple of weeks.
The full list of honorees was announced back in December and an internet poll was conducted to work out the favourite amongst readers. Pasaban, who comes from the Basque region of Spain, beat out a bunch of different explorers to require home the award. different nominees included Ed Stafford, who created headlines for walking over 4000 miles along the length of the Amazon River and Jessica Watson, the Australian teen who sailed solo round the world.
Climbing all of the world’s 8000 meter peaks is taken into account the final word challenge in mountaineering. The list includes a number of the foremost tough and deadly mountains on the earth, as well as Mt. Everest and also the legendary K2. a get few male climbers have achieved the feat, however Pasaban became the primary lady to hitch that terribly elite cluster. Korean climber Oh Eun-sun claimed to be the primary, reaching the highest of her final peak simply weeks before Pasaban. however queries stay on whether or not or not she really topped out on one in all the mountains, that has place her claim into dispute.
Conquering those peaks and winning this award did not come back while not sacrifice but. Pasaban suffered frostbite and has lost elements of many of her toes. that’s however atiny low value to purchase mountaineering immortality.