Mountaineer Allie Pepper Faces Setback Amid Historic Achievements

26th May, 2024

Allie Pepper has etched her name onto the list of elite mountaineers after summiting five 8,000-meter peaks (to their true summits) without supplementary oxygen.

Allie Pepper’s remarkable accomplishments on the way to 14 peaks without oxygen include:
* Becoming the first Australian woman to summit Annapurna and Makalu (to their true summits) without supplementary oxygen.
* Becoming the first Australian woman to summit two 8,000-meter peaks (to their true summits) without supplementary oxygen in one season.
* Reaching the highest altitude of any Australian woman without supplementary oxygen at 8485m (Makalu summit)

Mountains and world records have filled the annals of adventure for generations, along with the associated risks and rewards.

Following Allie’s summit of Mt. Makalu, she experienced a temporary setback. Her eyesight is affected by high altitude retinopathy (HAR). HAR is a condition that affects the retina, caused by the lower atmospheric pressure experienced at high elevations. Fortunately, this condition typically remedies over a 4 to 6-week period at lower altitudes.

This means climbing Mt. Kangchenjunga, which has been hampered by high winds and snow in recent weeks anyway, will be delayed while Allie and her partner Mikel take time out in Pokhara and Kathmandu. During this period, they will work on their film, “Respect Above the Clouds,” as well as participate in several media engagements.

Allie and Mikel will arrive in Sydney, Australia at 10am on Sunday, June 9th for more commitments before preparing to return to the high mountains when the climbing season commences again in Pakistan.