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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. Fear, anxiety, long preparation - all this for the sake of the moment when you find yourself on top of the world for the fourteenth time. In a conversation with a correspondent of "KP Severny Kavkaz" she told about how the girl prepared and what difficulties await her on the way to the 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 Earth's Crown. The rarity of this achievement is easy to explain. Climbing this mountain requires ideal physical fitness and strength.
"There are no secrets. We need to prepare very seriously for 8 thousand people, both physically and mentally. Success is possible without it, but in my case, for example, it requires training. 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 eight-thousander. Despite the surprise and uncertainty about what would happen next, Alina continued her intensive training. There is joy after the ascent, but it is still impossible to relax and consider the mountains your allies.
"No matter how many mountains a person has climbed, he still experiences it as if it were his first time. No matter how much experience you have, the tension remains. 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 to expect," the interviewee warns.
After the first mountain, there were 13 more mountains waiting for them. Alina planned to conquer almost all the leaders of the list in the shortest possible time. For this reason, 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 culmination was waiting for her in a month, but this period could not be called sufficient.
"Everything was planned very precisely, and the main thing for me was speed. I wanted to conquer as many mountains as possible. In less than six months, I was able to climb 11 hills at 8,000 meters. Ideally, there should have been 12,8000 people, but a tragedy occurred in Sisa Bangma, and we had to turn back," Alina recalls with regret.
Alina dreamed of staying for a while on the last mountain, Shishabangme. Although it is the shortest climb, it turns out to be morally impossible. In 2023, the climber's friends died during their first attempt to climb the mountain.
"To be honest, I wanted to go up, but as soon as I reached the mountain, I went back down. But after a while, I realized that the project was over, I had been waiting for it for a long time and had come a long way. Then I exhaled. "It's all over," Alina shares her feelings.
After completing 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, who allowed her to come and tell about all her adventures. She does not make clear plans for the future, but jokes that this project was just a learning stage and now she wants to try more.
"The Crown of the World" in Just a Year and a Half: Alina Pekova Is the First Russian Woman to Conquer the World's 14 Highest Mountains
A native of Kabardino-Balkaria became the first Russian to climb the 14 highest mountains in the world (more details).