Adriana Brownlee made headlines in 2024 after becoming the youngest woman to climb all fourteen 8000m peaks - and the first ever female Brit to do so. One of Britain's premier mountaineers, we caught up with her in a rare moment when she wasn't out training or high on a mountainside.
The spark. My father climbed mountains as a hobby when I was young and I remember being in awe of what he did. The flame was ignited when he suggested we try the UK Three Peaks challenge together — I was age 9. It took us 22 hours, and landed me in the local newspaper as the youngest ever to complete the challenge in under 24 hours. I wrote a letter to myself as part of a homework assignment which said: "I want to be famous for climbing the highest mountain in the world, it is called Mt Everest."
Building up. I continued to pursue climbing from age 15, squeezing climbs into holidays or skipping school for a couple of days. I completed the Welsh 3000s, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, and Aconcagua alongside my dad, and we climbed in the Alps too. At age 20 I succeeded in summiting Everest, making my childhood dream come true. It was the beginning of my independence as a strong young female alpinist.
Gelje. It was during this time I met Gelje Sherpa, my partner, just before Everest. I instantly knew he would be the person I climb with forever. He was there on almost every 8000er — 12 to be exact — and without him I wouldn't have completed such an incredible project.
The toll. Physically my body has changed in ways I don't know yet. The most-impacted part is my brain — I must have lost billions of brain cells from the altitude, especially the climbs I did without supplemental oxygen, which has affected memory. But it's slowly coming back to normal. Mentally it has solidified the drive and strength I've had since I was 8 years old.
Women in the mountains. When I started climbing the 14 peaks there were just a handful of women on the mountains; now it's grown exponentially, which is amazing to see. I really do believe women are mentally resilient on the mountains in pressured situations, and we express how we are feeling to our guides — incredibly important for knowing when to continue or when to turn back. I really hope more women join the mountaineering world.
AGA Adventures. We started AGA to create a company that focuses on safety — something we've seen lacking on the mountains — and that feels like a family. Gelje and I, along with our best friend Ashok (the other "A" in AGA), had big dreams. Sadly Ashok passed away three years ago, and that tragic time fuelled us to open the company.
What's next. I've become a little too comfortable on the other side of expeditions, so I have set myself a goal of climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen next year. Training has already started.
Adriana Brownlee is a British mountaineer and co-owner of AGA Adventures.
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