Emirati adventurer says women have the natural mental strength to climb mountains

Danah Al Ali who is training to climb Mount Everest hopes other women will join her in conquering earth’s highest peaks

Abu Dhabi: Women have the natural mental strength for climbing the highest mountains in the world, according to a young ambitious Emirati woman who is training to climb Mount Everest next year.

“Mountaineering is not all physical, it is very much about mental strength and women have that, especially if you are a mum,” said Danah Al Ali (left), 31-year-old mountaineer from Abu Dhabi.

“As long as you have the mental strength, you can push through the physical training,” she added.

Al Ali, a mother of two and in full-time employment, said her love for adventure, travel, outdoors and extreme sports got her interested in climbing. For her first stab at mountaineering, she conquered Kilimanjaro, in Africa, in December 2013 and has been climbing ever since.

“It was such an amazing experience and it really inspired me to continue climbing. When I returned I made a training plan to climb Mount Everest and have been training since,” said Al Ali.

Danah Al Ali is preparing to climb the highest mountain in South America, Aconcagua, in January 2017, prior to climbing Mount Everest. Supplied

She faced other challenges such as finding the right trainers and her biggest challenge yet, the cost of the expedition for her most technical training.

Al Ali said as part of her training for Mount Everest, it was crucial to climb other mountains, specifically Chamonix in France, as it is the “capital for technical mountaineering”, but the cost of the expedition nearly put a stop to her plans.

Having announced to a number of people about her goals, she said she was lucky enough that a firm, DarkMatter, heard her story and decided to help her pursue her dream and sponsored the trip.

As she prepares to climb the highest mountain in South America, Aconcagua, in January 2017, prior to climbing Mount Everest, her advice to other women who may be interested in taking on mountaineering, “It is more of a mental game than a physical one. So do your research, find the right expert that will provide you with the correct advice, train and just go for it.”

“If you have a dream, make it your goal and pursue it. No excuses. I pushed through everything (hardships). You just have to want it enough.”