Nives Meroi Italian climber Date of Birth: 17.09.1961 Country: Italy

1. Biography of Nives Meroi
2. Conquering the Eight-Thousanders
3. Views on Mount Everest
4. Other Achievements
5. Mountaineering Style and Personal Life

Biography of Nives Meroi

Born in 1961 in Bonate Sotto, Italy, Nives Meroi is an Italian mountaineer who has conquered more than a dozen of the world's highest peaks. She developed a passion for mountaineering from a young age and by the mid-1990s, Meroi was already known as a serious female climber.

Conquering the Eight-Thousanders

Since 1989, Nives has been married to fellow climber Romano Benet, and together, they have gained fame in the mountaineering community for their ascents of the world's highest peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen or the assistance of mountain guides. They do not rely on porters and never train in specialized high-altitude camps. According to Meroi, the cold is more intense without the use of oxygen, but this has never deterred her or Benet.

One of the coldest mountains Meroi has climbed is Mount Everest. She reached its summit in 2007 with her husband. In 2006, she became the first Italian woman to conquer K2. However, her most notable achievement came in 2003 when she became the first woman to successfully climb three peaks in the Gasherbrum range in a single season.

Views on Mount Everest

Meroi and her husband believe that Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world, has become too commercialized for true mountaineering. Large expeditions have taken over the mountain, leaving little space for individual climbers or small groups. Despite this, Meroi and her husband spent around 20 minutes on the summit of Mount Everest, where they even constructed a small altar. Interestingly, Meroi does not experience any significant emotions while standing on mountain summits.

Other Achievements

Meroi has also climbed Shishapangma in 1999, although controversy arose due to the lack of clear photos of the summit. She lost her camera during her descent from Everest, but fortunately, her husband captured pictures of the summit. Among her other notable ascents are Manaslu in 2008 and Annapurna in 2009. She also attempted Kangchenjunga in 2009. Prior to these achievements, Meroi successfully climbed Lhotse in 2004 and Dhaulagiri in 2006. Nanga Parbat became her first eight-thousander in 1998.

Mountaineering Style and Personal Life

All of Meroi's ascents have been made in alpine style, meaning she and her husband carry all their equipment and do not use oxygen or the assistance of Sherpas. They live together in Tarvisio, northern Italy.