I want to climb world’s Seven Summits – Anar Burasheva, first Kazakh woman to conquer Everest
Anar Burasheva is the first Kazakh woman to ever conquer the majestic mountain of the planet - Everest. In an interview with Kazinform News Agency correspondent, the well-known summiteer shared her plans and impressions after her ascent to the world’s highest peak.
“After Kilimanjaro, we congratulated each other on a successful ascent, and asked ourselves: “Where next? May be Everest?" Me, Maksut and Almir looked at each other and realized that we can and we want to do it! Upon our return to Almaty, we had a talk with the leaders of Everest Development company, where we had also invited Maksut Zhumayev. Our management immediately backed the idea, although we needed considerable funds to organize the expedition,” Anar Burasheva says.
She said she was thankful to all those who supported their idea be it in words or deeds.
“I do not want to rest on my oars. I want to join the Seven Summits project and climb the highest peaks in all the continents. I have already climbed Kilimanjaro and the highest mountain of Eurasia and entire planet – Everest,” Anar Burasheva adds.
Anar believes that thoughts are material.
“I felt the enormous support of my compatriots. A lot of people wrote to me, instilling confidence. Kazakhstanis even came to our camp and brought tasty food for us. You can be one hundred percent physically ready, but first of all, to conquer Everest you need to be ready mentally. Our entire route was covered with a blue ice and stones were flying. A stone flew at me. Nothing terrible happened, but at such moments, of course, you become demoralized,” said the climber.
Anar also unveiled psychological pressure the mountaineers face.
“My mentor Maksut Zhumayev is a well-respected person in the world of mountaineering. All the climbers tried to get into the same camp with him. There is only one obstacle at the top of Everest - inhuman [weather - editor's note] conditions. Absolutely [laughs – editor's note]. All those who want to climb Everest pray for a clear and calm weather. 18 people died on Everest last year. Many climbers and tourists die there every year. One should take into account hundreds and thousands of details and nuances, to prevent a tragedy. But I still want to return to this legendary and majestic peak of the world again,” the young woman says.
She emphasized that after having climbed Everest, she felt she had accomplished her duty.
“After the ascent, I thought about the descent, because when climbing up, you are driven by your goal, but when you descend, it is mentally and physically more difficult to concentrate on the process, as you are exhausted. Hanging between life and death, you try to keep bad thoughts away. Nevertheless, you can’t get rid of excitement and fear in your head. It is necessary not to lose control of your body and thoughts, which is quite important during the descent. The most important thing is the belief in your own strength, systematic training and discipline. This also helped me when climbing Kilimanjaro. And Maksut Zhumayev hugely contributed to my training,” said Anar Burasheva.