Edurne Pasaban Spanish climber Date of Birth: 01.08.1973 Country: Spain

1. Biography of Edurne Pasaban
2. Conquering the Eight-thousanders
3. The Challenging K2
4. Controversy and Record-Breaking
5. Continuing Adventures

Biography of Edurne Pasaban

Edurne Pasaban Lizarribar was born in 1973 in Tolosa, Spain, in the Basque Country. She developed a love for the mountains from a young age and would often go hiking with friends before becoming a professional mountaineer.

Conquering the Eight-thousanders

Pasaban's first record-breaking ascent came in May 2001 when she climbed Mount Everest, becoming the first woman to reach the summit of an eight-thousander. She continued her expeditions, with notable climbs including Makalu in 2002. In total, it took her nine years to conquer all fourteen of the world's highest peaks.

The Challenging K2

One of Pasaban's most difficult climbs was Mount K2, the second-highest mountain in the world. In July 2004, she successfully reached the summit but suffered severe frostbite on her fingers during the descent. Despite the pain and hardships, Pasaban declared that mountaineering was like a disease and that she would continue to strive for new summits.

Controversy and Record-Breaking

In 2010, Pasaban completed her final climb of Shishapangma, disappointed to learn that Oh Eun-Sun, a Korean mountaineer, had completed her fourteenth eight-thousander 20 days before her. However, later investigations revealed that Oh Eun-Sun's ascent of Kangchenjunga was unverified, and the title of being the first woman to conquer all fourteen peaks was officially awarded to Pasaban.

Continuing Adventures

Despite setting the record, Pasaban has no intentions of stopping her mountaineering pursuits. She stated, "Even though I have now conquered all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, I will continue climbing mountains and embarking on new adventures."