Q&A With Allie Pepper

Hi Allie, it’s good to catch up again. I believe you’re fresh off Pakistan’s Nanga Parbat; can you tell us about that?
It was the most dangerous expedition I’ve ever done. The first day on the mountain, a huge boulder broke loose above us, shattered on the rocks, and narrowly missed us. From there, things only got worse. I had gastro most days at Base Camp, and the mountain got warmer and drier. By the end, the Diamir Face was mostly dirt, loose rock, and black ice. Half the anchors had fallen out. The climb was challenging, with so much hard ice and hundreds of meters of rock below the summit. Despite it all, my partner Mikel and I summited. I used oxygen from 7,500m.

What’s it like as a woman climbing there?
I’d avoided that area for years because of the culture. You only see men; women stay hidden indoors. If women are outside working and spot you, they quickly disappear as they aren’t allowed to show their faces to men or foreigners. It’s confronting.

To remind readers, can you outline your project?
It’s climbing to the true summits of all 14 of the world’s 8,000m peaks, without supplemental oxygen, in the fastest time I can.

How many 8,000m+ peaks are you up to now?
I began my project on July 15, 2023, summiting Broad Peak without oxygen. Since then, I’ve climbed four more 8,000m peaks without oxygen, and three (K2, Kanchenjunga, and Nanga Parbat) with oxygen due to conditions or how I was feeling. I’ll return to those for no-oxygen ascents but summiting them was still valuable experience. Since 2007, I’ve stood on 8,000m summits twelve times, including repeats. I have summited nine of the fourteen with and without oxygen. It’s a bit complex, but I still have nine no-oxygen climbs to go to complete the project.

How has revisiting some of the summits felt? Did any feel radically different second time around?
It’s been a dream to return to peaks I couldn’t climb without oxygen and achieve that goal the second time. Each one has a story. Manaslu in 2023 was my first climb with my partner Mikel. We reached the true summit in perfect conditions. Last year I climbed Annapurna and Makalu without oxygen. I’d said I wouldn’t return to Annapurna. Makalu took 29 hours round-trip from high camp; in 2019, I’d turned back at 7600m. The mountains had changed, and so had I.

What’s been the most challenging climb? And what the most rewarding?
The most challenging expedition physically, mentally, and emotionally, was Nanga Parbat. We lost our friend Klara Kolouchova on that climb, which was a heartbreaking shock. The most rewarding was Makalu, where I reached my highest altitude without oxygen: 8,485m.

Have you reconsidered your ‘no oxygen’ position?
I seriously thought my project was over on Nanga Parbat when I used oxygen. I honestly didn’t want to go back there. But I’ve since changed my mind. I know it’ll be a different experience next time, but I need a year at least to mentally prepare myself.

Has it been taking a physical toll? Or do you feel that you’re getting weaker?
The last two expeditions took a huge physical toll. I suffered gastro on both, and lost so much weight and a lot of muscle. I’m weaker compared to when I started climbing in April.

And has that been the hardest thing, the physicality? Or are the psychological challenges greater?
The most challenging part of my project hasn’t been the climbing; it’s been raising funds. I sold my home and invested that money into the project. I’ve also funded the filming side of the project myself.

You’ve summited more 8,000ers than any other Aussie woman. But I genuinely hate mentioning the ‘woman’ aspect; you’re a great alpinist—period. What do you have to say about being categorised as a ‘female’ climber?
I’m proud to be a role model for women, but I’ve earned my place as a climber in my own right. In this male-dominated sport, I used to feel I had to prove myself just to be seen. That’s changed for me, but the mountain can still feel like a boys’ club, even with more women out there now.

What advice would you give to aspiring alpinists?
Don’t skip the steps. Too many overestimate their abilities and end up in dangerous situations, putting others at risk. Do the training, gain experience, and enjoy the journey. Ambition is great but take it one step at a time. There’s no need to rush.

Head to linktr.ee/alliepepperadventures to read more about Allie’s project. You can also find details there on her free training, workshop materials and e-books for aspiring alpinists, plus find links to her YouTube and Insta accounts.

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