An 18-year-old high school student from Melbourne has become the youngest Australian to climb to the top of Mount Everest. Bianca Adler reached the 8,849-metre summit at approximately 6:30 am AEST on Wednesday, accompanied by her guides Pemba and Ngdu. The achievement was confirmed by her Garmin data and an Instagram post.
Second Attempt Success
This was Adler's second attempt at the world's tallest mountain. In May last year, she was forced to turn back just 400 metres from the summit due to strong winds, describing it as an "extremely tough" but necessary decision. "But I always want to choose life over a potential summit," she said at the time.
Family Support
Adler was accompanied for part of the journey by her parents, Paul and Fiona, both experienced mountain climbers. Paul Adler climbed Everest in 2007, while Fiona reached the summit in 2006. The couple once received a congratulatory letter from then Prime Minister John Howard upon their ascent.
Summit Conditions
In videos posted on a blog documenting her trip, Adler told her father via radio that she felt "really good but the weather is really bad" at the summit. Her father replied, "It's amazing what you've done and so much hard work – it's amazing." Adler responded, "Thanks Dad. I feel really good up here. Physically I feel really great."
Later, Adler noted that the descent was more challenging. On Instagram, she shared a selfie from camp 4 and explained: "I felt like I needed to be so much more cautious and it was a lot of work clipping around people. Also the part from the South Summit to the summit is really technical at parts – much more than the rocks before the South Summit." She added that there were large queues of about a dozen people, making it tough to navigate while staying clipped in.
Climbing Statistics
Nepal's department of mountaineering reported that 410 foreign climbers had been issued permits to attempt Everest this spring season, which ends this month. The fee to climb is US$15,000. Adler was resting at camp 4 as of Wednesday afternoon and plans to descend to camp 2.
Next Goals
Her father told the ABC that Adler's parents are "extremely proud" of her. Upon returning to Melbourne, her next goal is to complete Year 12.
