Completing the Journey
Mashat’s quest to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents began in her sixties. The 6,961.94-meter-high Aconcagua in South America, the continent’s tallest peak, was her first conquest. At age 61, she scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, which stands at 5,894.83 meters. On May 24, 2008, she reached the summit of Mount Everest, the highest peak in Asia and the world. During her descent, she temporarily lost her sight for 10 hours and had to cautiously feel her way down the mountain.
At the age of 63, Mashat moved on to Mount McKinley (Denali) in North America, which stands at 6,205.73 meters; at 64, she conquered Mount Elbrus in Europe. This year, after celebrating her 65th birthday in January, she climbed Vinson Massif, the highest peak in Antarctica, at an elevation of 5,140 meters.
She conquered her final peak on the 17th of this month and returned to her hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah, on the 21st. Friends greeted the brave adventurer at the airport with balloons and banners. One banner read: “It’s not about age, it’s about attitude.”
“A Spiritual Home”
Mashat became the oldest female member of the “Seven Summits Club,” earning the nickname “Silver Fox.” In fact, she didn’t take up mountaineering until she was no longer young. The British newspaper Daily Mail reported on the 29th, quoting her as saying: “At the age of 50, my life hit rock bottom. Within 18 months, I lost my beloved job, broke up with my partner, my mother passed away, and my health continued to decline.”
To cope with grief, anger, and stress, Mashat traveled to the Andes in South America to attend mountaineering training, where she discovered she was quite good at climbing.
Mashat said: “I probably should have taken up knitting, played bridge, or done something more age-appropriate, but that wouldn’t be me.”
“When I’m in the mountains, I feel pure, peaceful, and strong,” she said. “That’s my spiritual home.”
Conquering the seven highest peaks in her sixties was thanks to her strong physical condition and unyielding perseverance. Mashat said: “I love challenges, and my physical condition allowed me to do that.”
Special report by Xinhua News Agency, Huang Min