nurse Scales Everest, Finding Healing in theโ Highest Reaches
Kathmandu, Nepalโ – โ Rowena,โ a UK-based nurse, has successfully summited Mount Everest, achieving a lifelong ambitionโ born from aโค desire to overcome personal heartache and rediscover purpose after a relationshipโค breakdown. the 41-year-old โขreached the 8,848m (29,028ft) peak on May 18th, โฃaccompanied by her Sherpa guide, Migmar.
Rowena’s journey to the world’s highest point began withโฃ a simple,โข life-alteringโ conversation. Following a tough split, a friend’s encouragement – “Do it. Life’s too short.” – sparked a transformativeโฃ decision. โ”From thatโข moment, there โฃwasโข no turningโ back,” she recounts.
Initially feelingโ “wildly unprepared,” โRowena began anโฃ intensive โคeight-week trainingโค regime before travelling to Tanzania in Januaryโ of last year to climb Mount kilimanjaro, a โค5,895m (19,341ft)โ dormant volcano. Despite initial struggles withโ altitude sickness -โ “pounding headaches, no appetite and โคaโ grumpy streak a mile wide” -โ she successfully reached the summit inโ seven days, describing the sunrise over Africa as a deeply moving experience that brought her โฃto tears.
Rowena’s career has โฃbeenโข dedicated โto nursing. She began training at โฃ17, working โคin A&E for โthree years, followed by seven yearsโ in district nursing while completing a โฃspecialist degree to become a sister managing a team. She later undertook โadvanced clinicalโข practitioner training, also in A&E, and worked throughout the covid pandemic. Though, despite professional success, โฃshe โฃfound herself feeling “empty.”
Kilimanjaro ignited a passionโ for โคmountaineering. She afterward completed an โultra-marathon in the Brecon Beacons in 21 hours and 50 minutes, and conquered Mount Elbrus in Russia (5,642m / โข18,510ft), Europe’s highest peak, โขandโค Aconcagua in โฃArgentina (almost 7,000m), the highest peak outside the Himalayas.
Driven by a newfound sense of purpose, Rowena decided to climb for a cause, raising funds for the RCN โFoundation, whichโ provides grants toโฃ nurses and โขnursing students in financial hardship, through a JustGiving page.
After โarriving in Nepal in April, she spent a month acclimatising beforeโฃ beginningโ the final ascentโ on May 15th. Recalling the summit, Rowenaโ described an “infinite” view โฃand a moment ofโ shared triumph withโ Migmar,โค “the highest peopleโฃ on the planet.”
Rowena’sโ ambition doesn’tโค end with Everest. She โis alreadyโค planning her nextโฃ challenge: Denali in Alaska, the highest peak in North Americaโข at 6,190m (20,310ft), scheduled for May of next year. She acknowledges itsโข difficulty – “They say it’s harder โคthan Everest” โ- but remainsโ undeterred.
“In the mountains, as in life, you don’t look too โfar ahead,” Rowena reflects. “You put one foot in front of the other.You keep going. โAnd you โtrust that,eventually,you’ll stand somewhere โyou never dreamed possible.”