Emirati adventurer aims to be on top of the world

Dana Al Ali has climbed the highest peaks in Europe and Africa. Next, she plans to climb Aconcagua in Argentina and then set her sights on Everest.

Emirati Dana Al Ali, who is finalizing her preparations for an attempt to scale Mount Everest, is seen training in Chamonix, France. Courtesy Danah Al Ali

ABU DHABI // If Emirati adventurer Dana Al Ali learnt anything from her quests it is that no dream is too big.

“If you have a goal, go for it,” said Ms Ali, 32, a government worker.

She is now preparing for her next mission – to climb Argentina’s Aconcagua mountain, South America’s highest peak, in January. In April she faces her ultimate challenge – Everest.

“It is the highest in the world, that was the thing that got me,” she said. “I watched every film and documentary, and fell in love with the Himalayas.”

Her attempt to summit Aconcagua will take her two weeks. For her, the main challenge will be being away from her husband and two children.

“Work has been very supportive. With family I honestly don’t know how I’m gonna leave them.”

The longest she has been away from her son and daughter, 7 and 9, was when she undertook a 10-day trek to Everest Base Camp.

“Missing my family too much is my biggest worry, or not being able to continue. There is always a chance the weather will get so bad, an avalanche or an earthquake – a natural disaster that many not allow me to summit.”

In terms of physical fitness, she has been training at an altitude chamber in Dubai, which has the same oxygen level as that on high altitudes, starting at 2,300 metres and working her way up.

“So I got my backpack on, and I wear my boots, and I walk at a treadmill at an incline, the whole room is operated by the system that they have.”

She also went to Chamonix in the French Alps for the second time in July to improve her technical climbing skills with ropes and other equipment. “This was when I said ‘2017 will be the year I do Everest’,” she said.

Her mountaineering journey began when she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2013.

“After Kilimanjaro I had this crazy idea that I wanted to climb Everest, so started researching it. The thing that shocked me was that it will take two months,” she said.

She starting asking what she had to do to get there, and the answer was that she had to get more mountaineering experience elsewhere.

“I said: ‘No I want to do Everest’.”

She listened to the experts and decided to take a “step backward” and experience other mountains to prepare.

In 2014, she undertook some training in Chamonix. In 2015, she climbed Mount Elbrus in Russia, Europe’s highest peak.

“After that I couldn’t set a goal. I would have loved to do Everest within a year but it was really difficult.”

So, her trip to Everest Base Camp gave her “a feeling of what Nepal is like and the Himalayas”.

One of her favourites part of mountaineering is meeting people from around the world.

“It was first time I travelled by myself. I get to meet new people, everybody has a story to share,” she recalls.

She also gets to experience new cultures and countries.

For example, when she climbed Kilimanjaro it was her first time in Africa.” So, I got to see those cities that I have been through.”

“Similarly, in Ebrus I tried all this food.”

There are always tough challenges on her missions.

“There are those moments when you get really tired walking for six or seven hours. It gets too cold. You start questioning yourself.”

Reaching the summits made it all worthwhile, she said.