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Took the "Crown of the Earth" after a tragedy: Alina Pekova, who climbed the 14 main peaks of the world, told about her journey
Alina Pekova, a climber from Kabardino-Balkaria, is the first Russian woman to conquer the "Crowns of the Earth" - the 14 highest mountains on Earth. Anxiety, fear, long preparations - all this for the sake of that moment when you stand on top of the world for the fourteenth time. In a conversation with a correspondent of "KP-North Caucasus", she told about how the girl prepared and what difficulties await her on the way to achieving her goal.
The 14/8000 project is the most prestigious achievement in mountaineering. Alina speaks modestly about it, but admits that more people have been to space than have climbed all 14 peaks of the world. As of 2019, only 41 people have conquered the “Crown of the Earth.” The rarity of this achievement is easy to explain. Climbing this mountain requires ideal physical fitness and strength.
"There are no secrets. You have to prepare very seriously for 8,000 people, both physically and mentally. Without this, success is possible, but in my case, for this you need training, for example. This includes running and training in the gym (any exercises to increase endurance). After training, I check my condition. If the result is good, you are also psychologically ready to grieve," says Alina.
The climber spent six months preparing for his first 8,000 meters. Despite the surprise and uncertainty about what would happen next, Alina continued her intensive training. After the ascent, there was joy, but it was still impossible to relax and consider the mountains your allies.
"No matter how many mountains a person climbs, he still experiences it as if it were his first time. No matter how much experience you have, the excitement is still there. This is nature, and we are not sure what the weather will be like. Even if you are very well prepared physically, you never know what awaits you," the interlocutor warns.
After the first mountain, there were 13 more mountains waiting for her. Alina planned to take almost all the peaks on the list in the shortest possible time. Because of this, there was sometimes little opportunity to rest. A week after climbing one mountain, the climber was already climbing another mountain. Sometimes she had a little more time to prepare, and the next peak was waiting for her in a month, but this period cannot be called sufficient.
"Everything was very clearly planned, and I was interested in speed. I wanted to conquer as many mountains as possible. In less than six months, I was able to climb 11 peaks of 8,000 meters. Ideally, there would have been 12 people, 8 thousand people, but a tragedy occurred in Sisa Bangma and we had to turn around," Alina recalls with regret.
Alina dreamed of staying on the last mountain, Shishabangme, for a short time. Despite the fact that it is the shortest climb, it turns out to be morally impossible. In 2023, during the first attempt to climb the mountain, the climber's friends died.
"To be honest, I wanted to go up, but as soon as I reached the mountain, I went down. But after a while, I realized that the project was over, I had been waiting for this for a long time and had come a long way. Then I exhaled. It was all over," Alina shares her feelings.
Having completed one of the most prestigious projects among climbers, Alina plans to take a break. She will come to the KBR, where her family will be waiting for her. Throughout the trip, the girl was supported by her family, allowing her to come and tell about all her adventures. She does not offer clear plans for the future, but jokes that the project was just training and now she wants to try more.
"The Crown of the World" in Just a Year and a Half: Alina Pekova Becomes the First Russian to Conquer the World's 14 Highest Mountains
A native of Kabardino-Balkaria, he was the first Russian to climb the 14 highest mountains in the world (more details).