Leila Esfandyari
Encyclopedia
Leila Esfandyari was an Iranian mountain climber. Leila is the first Iranian woman to scale the summit of Nanga Parbat
on the Himalayas, the world’s ninth highest peak with an altitude of 8,125 metres and one of the deadliest peaks. Leila is regarded as a pioneer in the women’s mountain climbing movement, being one of few women in the world to have completed a similar attempt.
hospital before she left her job to climb K2 in the Himalayas (2010).
Leila’s attempt to reach the summit took seventy three days, including the thirty days she spent at the base camp at an altitude of 5000 metres, in order to acclimatize and prepare herself physically for the challenge. She succeeded in climbing as far as Camp 3 at an altitude of 7565 metres, covering more than three-quarters of the distance to the peak. But unfortunately, atrocious weather conditions and continual avalanches prevented her and all the other experienced climbers from proceeding further.
Having been unable to find a sponsor, the venture cost her an enormous amount of money, for which she had to sell her share in a house which was her only asset. Previously, she had even had to give up her job as a microbiologist in a Tehran hospital in order to fulfill her goal of climbing the second most difficult mountain in the world- Nanga Parbat. For her it was a sacrifice worth making, as the expedition, in the company of an Iranian team three years ago, ended successfully.
Leila Esfandyari started her training as a professional climber at the Damavand Mountaineering Club ten years ago, and together with the members of the Club, she climbed all of the mountain peaks of Iran. She was also trained in caving and rock climbing- the sports in which she pursued whenever she had the chance. In spite of two operations on her spinal disks, she did not up the physical exercises which she regularly carried out at home under the supervision of a specialist. She was determined to continue climbing professionally, and hoped to have the opportunity to climb several more of the 14 summits with altitudes of more than 8000 metres.
Leading a six-person group of mountain climbers, she summited Nanga Parbat
in 2008.
, one of the highest peaks on the Karakoram
range of the Himalayas. Minutes after, on the way down, her foot slipped on the ice and she fell 300 meters down the peak. She had said once before that "If I fall, let me remain where I am." In accordance to her wishes, her body now rests in the icy heights of the Himalayan Mountain range.
Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain on Earth, the second highest mountain in Pakistan and among the eight-thousanders with a summit elevation of 8,126 meters...
on the Himalayas, the world’s ninth highest peak with an altitude of 8,125 metres and one of the deadliest peaks. Leila is regarded as a pioneer in the women’s mountain climbing movement, being one of few women in the world to have completed a similar attempt.
Biography
Leila Esfadyari was brought up and educated in Tehran, Iran, receiving a Bachelor's degree in microbiology. She worked as a microbiologist in a TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
hospital before she left her job to climb K2 in the Himalayas (2010).
Climbing the Wild Peak
Leila Esfandyari is the first Iranian woman who has attempted to conquer K2- the world’s second highest mountain after Mount Everest. The number of people to have reached the summit is only a small fraction of those who have successfully climbed Mount Everest. K2 has also had a significantly higher fatality rate in proportion to the number of those who have tried to climb it.Leila’s attempt to reach the summit took seventy three days, including the thirty days she spent at the base camp at an altitude of 5000 metres, in order to acclimatize and prepare herself physically for the challenge. She succeeded in climbing as far as Camp 3 at an altitude of 7565 metres, covering more than three-quarters of the distance to the peak. But unfortunately, atrocious weather conditions and continual avalanches prevented her and all the other experienced climbers from proceeding further.
Having been unable to find a sponsor, the venture cost her an enormous amount of money, for which she had to sell her share in a house which was her only asset. Previously, she had even had to give up her job as a microbiologist in a Tehran hospital in order to fulfill her goal of climbing the second most difficult mountain in the world- Nanga Parbat. For her it was a sacrifice worth making, as the expedition, in the company of an Iranian team three years ago, ended successfully.
Leila Esfandyari started her training as a professional climber at the Damavand Mountaineering Club ten years ago, and together with the members of the Club, she climbed all of the mountain peaks of Iran. She was also trained in caving and rock climbing- the sports in which she pursued whenever she had the chance. In spite of two operations on her spinal disks, she did not up the physical exercises which she regularly carried out at home under the supervision of a specialist. She was determined to continue climbing professionally, and hoped to have the opportunity to climb several more of the 14 summits with altitudes of more than 8000 metres.
Leading a six-person group of mountain climbers, she summited Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain on Earth, the second highest mountain in Pakistan and among the eight-thousanders with a summit elevation of 8,126 meters...
in 2008.
Death
On July 22, 2011, sher successfully completed the ascent to Gasherbrum IIGasherbrum II
Gasherbrum II , also known as K4, is the 13th highest mountain on Earth, located on the border of Gilgit-Baltistan province, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China...
, one of the highest peaks on the Karakoram
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
range of the Himalayas. Minutes after, on the way down, her foot slipped on the ice and she fell 300 meters down the peak. She had said once before that "If I fall, let me remain where I am." In accordance to her wishes, her body now rests in the icy heights of the Himalayan Mountain range.