Alison Hargreave, Became the First Woman to Climb Mount Everest Solo and Without Oxygen

On 13 May 1995, British mountaineer Alison Hargreaves, a 33-year-old mother of two from Spean Bridge, Scotland, became the first woman to summit Mount Everest solo and without supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support. Climbing via the North Ridge route, she achieved this remarkable feat entirely unaided, relying solely on her own strength and determination. Upon reaching the summit, Hargreaves radioed a heartfelt message to her children: “I am on top of the world and I love you dearly” . 

This ascent was part of her ambitious plan to climb the three highest mountains in the world—Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga—within a single year, all without supplemental oxygen or support. Tragically, just three months later, on 13 August 1995, after successfully summiting K2, Hargreaves and several fellow climbers were caught in a sudden and severe storm during their descent. The storm claimed the lives of all six climbers, including Hargreaves, marking one of the most devastating events in K2’s climbing history .  

Hargreaves’s legacy endures as a testament to her extraordinary skill, courage, and pioneering spirit in the world of mountaineering.