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May 28, 2022

Sheikh Asma Al-Thani reaches Mt. Everest

FA News Desk
Sheikh Asma Al-Thani, the first Qatari woman mountaineer. Photo credit: Al Thani source.
Sheikh Asma Al-Thani, the first Qatari woman mountaineer. Photo credit: Al Thani source.

Becomes first Qatari woman to scale world’s highest snow-capped peak

So far has become a well-known figure in the alpine field, a woman alpinist from Qatar, Sheikh Asma Al-Thani has reached the top of the world’s highest snow-capped peak Mt Everest on May 27, 2022 Friday.

After successfully putting her feet at the top of the world at 8,848.86 meters high Mt. Everest Ms. Sheikha Asma bint Thani al-Thani became the first Qatari woman to reach the rooftop of the world who is from lowland Qatar that lies at around 328 to 164 feet above the sea-level from southern parts to northern areas respectively.

As per the social media reports of Nirmal Purja, other19 members of the expedition team including himself also were successful in reaching the top of Mt. Everest along with Qatari Mountaineer Sheikh Asma Al-Thani.

“Congratulations to the whole team who summited Everest today! Everyone is back at South Cole safe and warm. And as I always say 100% summit success to all who have left from camp 2!” Nirmal Purja, who had atop Mt. Everest several times, posted on Facebook.

Sheikh Asma, who is in her early thirties, is on a mission to become the first woman from the Middle East to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam. The Explorer’s Grand Slam is an adventurer goal to reach the North Pole and South Pole as well as climb the Seven Highest Summits-Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, and Puncak Jaya or Kosciuszko.

Though Princess Sheikh Asma Al-Thani is a member of the ruling Qatari royal family she loves to face challenges.

Personality with strong-hearted Arab woman mountaineer Ms. Asma Al-Thani, the third Qatari to ever attempt the climb, believes that challenges provide inspiration which in turn leads to achieving goals.

With achieving the Mt. Everest goal, a Muslim woman adventurer Sheikh Asma has completed five of the nine Explorer’s Grand Slam challenges.

On the course of the Explorers Grand Slam, so far, Sheikh Asma has climbed above eight-thousanders Mt. Everest (the recent), Mt. Dhaulagiri, Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Manaslu, Mt Kanchenjunga of Nepal.

She had also climbed South America’s highest mountain situated in Argentina Mt. Aconcagua in 2019 and ski the last degree to the North Pole in 2018.

Adding more peaks on the course of Grand Slam Explorer she had climbed the Mt. Elbrus- a highest in Europe- located in Russia in August 2021.

Prior to this, in 2014 she summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa lies in Tanzania.

A director of marketing and communication of the Qatar Olympic Committee, alpinist Sheikh Asma inspires women and young people in the region to challenge stereotypes and fulfil their dreams.

Princess Sheikh Asma Al-Thani once said to this scribe at the dinner hosted by the Ambassador of Qatar to Nepal last year, “I have dreamed of climbing mountains ever since I was young. A dream which has always been ignited by my love of sport and its ability to inspire.”

“I climb mountains because it challenges my limits. And it is my hope that, by taking on the world’s highest mountains, I can challenge the explorer and empower women and youth in the region to challenge themselves and dream bigger,” she added.

“Climbing has been a journey of firsts, but my ultimate dream is to be the first of many Qatari women to achieve such feats. Together we can all work to inspire the next generation of women to achieve their dreams,” said Qatari Mountaineer Sheikh Asma.

A woman with many achievements, Sheikh Asma hopes her feats will inspire other adventurous females to follow her footsteps.

Sheikh Asma told, “I have dreamed of climbing mountains ever since I was young”.

“I climb mountains because it challenges my limits by taking on the exploration of the world’s highest mountains and that empower women and youth in the region to challenge themselves and dream bigger.”

“This has been a journey of firsts, but this is not my focus. My ultimate dream is to be the first of many Qatari women to achieve such feats. Together we can all work to inspire the next generation of women to achieve their dreams,” said Sheikh Asma.