The “Cholitas Escaladoras” (Climbing ‘Cholitas’) are going for Everest

The “Cholitas Escaladoras” (Climbing ‘Cholitas’) are going for Everest. Facebook page photo.

The “Cholitas Escaladoras” (Climbing ‘Cholitas’) are going for Everest

It was there, in the freezing cold, on the high peak charged with the noise of silence and the brave winds. It was there, where they, tired, arrived. There were five of them and two arrived at five o’clock in the morning, on a summer morning, at the summit of the highest mountain in the Southern Cone. Five women, Bolivian, cholitas, advanced in the heavy and solid snow under the moon.

The “Cholitas Escaladoras” (Climbing ‘Cholitas’) are going for Everest. Facebook page photo.
The “Cholitas Escaladoras” (Climbing ‘Cholitas’) are going for Everest. Facebook page photo.

Lidia Huayllas, Dora Mangueño, Ana Lía (Lita) Gonzales, Cecilia Llusco Alaña and Elena Quispe climbed the Aconcagua and the news, at the beginning of this year, toured the world’s newspapers. For them, it’s a pride, but not enough: they want more.

It’s three in the afternoon and Lita is about to submit her thesis of the Tourism career. She is 34 years old and is the first of her family to attend university, to leave the confines of the town and live in the city. She is from the Zongo Valley, a small community 83 km from La Paz, in the eastern buttresses of the Andes Mountain Range. The area, full of vegetation and mountains, was the place where I observed the hills from the window, every morning.

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Richard Branson got ‘seconds from death’ on charity Mont Blanc climb

Sir Richard Branson and his son Sam almost did not make it in a charity climb to the Mont Blanc. Picture PA. Nepal Herald.

Richard Branson got ‘seconds from death’ on charity Mont Blanc climb

“Three seconds earlier we would all certainly have been killed. I have never come so close to losing my son,” Sir Richard said.

From: Nepal Herald and Sky News.

The 68-year-old, along with Sam and his nephew Noah Devereux reached the top of the mountain on Saturday afternoon after completing the 33-day Virgin Strive Challenge – a 2,000km trek across Western Europe.

Sir Richard Branson climbs Mont Blanc in the Alps in the final stage of the Virgin Strive Challenge (Picture: PA) Nepal Herald.
Sir Richard Branson climbs Mont Blanc in the Alps in the final stage of the Virgin Strive Challenge (Picture: PA) Nepal Herald.

A core team of 13 hiked, climbed, cycled and even used sea kayaks to complete their journey from Sardinia to the top of Mont Blanc – raising money for the charity Big Change which helps disadvantaged young people in the UK.

After completing the climb, Sir Richard said: ‘God forbid, a few seconds earlier it would not have been as pretty – so I’m very thankful we got through it.

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