Conquering the Heights: A Woman's Quest to Scale Kazakhstan's Tallest Mountain, Khan Tengri
Dina Shabdukarimova's Attempt to Conquer Khan Tengri Falls Short
Dina Shabdukarimova, a native Almaty resident and mountain enthusiast, embarked on an ambitious journey to climb Khan Tengri, a pyramidal peak in the Tian Shan mountain range, located on the border between Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic. Standing at 6,995 meters or 7,010 meters with the ice cap, Khan Tengri is one of Kazakhstan’s highest peaks.
Shabdukarimova, a mechanical engineer by degree who worked in the oil industry for many years before joining a mountaineering school, prepared meticulously for this challenge. She acclimated and prepared for the ascent in the so-called Himalayan style, which involves setting up multiple camps along the route and ascending and descending several times to acclimatize before making a final push to the summit.
This acclimatization strategy can take weeks or even months and is essential to reduce the risk of altitude sickness. Shabdukarimova quickly acclimated to high altitudes, attributing her ease to a positive mindset.
The expedition to climb Khan Tengri consisted of 15 climbers and five accompanying guides, including people from Poland, Canada, Spain, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. However, adverse weather conditions prevented the group from completing their mission.
At 6,660 meters, Shabdukarimova decided to turn back, realizing she had made the right choice and recognizing her own strengths. The wind at 6,700 meters was approximately 55-60-65 meters per second, strong enough to knock her off her feet.
The experience of climbing and witnessing death had a profound impact on Shabdukarimova. She described a lack of reaction to death in the moment due to the need for survival and the difficulty of bringing down a single injured person's body. Alongside the unparalleled passion to summit the highest peaks, many people have died, including four people in Shabdukarimova's group during their expedition.
Despite not reaching the summit, Shabdukarimova found solace in her connection to other Kazakh women in alpinism who have yet to fully discover their potential. She now works as a mountain guide and leads a mountaineering club, aiming to become the first Kazakh woman to earn the Snow Leopard title, awarded to climbers who summit all five 7,000-meter peaks of the Pamirs and Tien Shan.
[1] Information sourced from various online mountaineering resources.
- Shabdukarimova's interest in mountain climbing led her to consider environmental science, particularly climate-change research, as she reflected on the impacts of shifting weather patterns on her adventures.
- After unsuccessfully attempting to conquer Khan Tengri, Shabdukarimova began to advocate for sustainable adventure-travel practices, encouraging fellow travelers to minimize their environmental footprint while exploring remote landscapes.
- Proven by her systematic approach to training and adaptability to high altitudes, Dina Shabdukarimova plans to apply these skills in her future endeavors, such as pursuing a master's degree in environmental-science to study more efficiently renewable energy sources for a greener lifestyle.
