Young Emirati mother prepares to climb Everest

None of these conditions - frostbites, dehydration, sun burns, pulmonary oedema - that are associated with climbing the Mount Everest could deter Danah Al Ali from achieving her dream.

The Emirati woman from Abu Dhabi is undergoing training to climb at the cruising altitude of a Boeing 747, hoping to reach the formidable peak of Mount Everest in 2017.

The 31-year-old mother of two has been held up as a national role model, given her previous physical endeavours. Her mountaineering adventures began in 2013, when she scaled Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres.

She then climbed Mount Elbrus, part of the Caucasus Mountains in Southern Russia and the highest peak in Europe at 5,642 metres and she reached the Base Camp of Mount Everest in Nepal at 5,335 metres.

In January next year, before returning to Everest for a second attempt to the 8,848 metres summit, Al Ali will do one more climb, the 6,961 metres high Aconcagua in South America.

For now, she just returned from a mountaineering session in the French Alps, where she was supported every step of the way by DarkMatter, an international cyber security firm headquartered in the UAE.

"We are moved by Danah Al Ali and her passion for trekking and pushing boundaries. Being bold, passionate, and meticulous in preparation are values that resonate with DarkMatter, and we congratulate her on this latest accomplishment and wish her every success in her future pursuit to scale Mount Everest," said Faisal Al Bannai, CEO of DarkMatter.

Al Ali has recently completed a technical mountaineering training in Chamonix, the highest summit in the Alps. During her expedition, she gained technical experience in walking in crampons on glaciers, snow and rocks, as well as use of ice axes and she also gained invaluable rock-climbing experience. Al Ali was exposed to safety instructions too in preparation for her planned journey to the Everest.

silvia@khaleejtimes.com