Department of Up And Comers–Edurne Pasaban: TWC posted on Spaniard Edurne, 30, last week after she summitted K2 in miserable conditions, and became the only woman still living to have been to the top (yes, K2 really is a bitch to climb). Now Explorer’s Web has done a follow-up interview that caught my attention because it turns out that Edurne is as ambitious and tough as they come. First off, the price that K2 has exacted is two toes (one from each foot; frostbite). Edurne calls them not that “important.” Her partner on the K2 climb–Juanito Oiarzabal–is losing them all, and wants Edurne to go to Aconcagua with him in January to test their imminently toeless feet together. Pasaban doesn’t think she’ll quite be up for hitting Aconcagua with Juanito this January. Instead she’s aiming for Nanga Parbat next summer. If she succeeds she’ll add that 8000er to an impressive resume so far: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, GI, GII and K2. In fact, Edurne has bagged more big mountains than any woman on the face of the planet, so I clicked over to ExWeb’s profile of her. And guess what? It turns out that Edurne is a big mountain animal. She’s climbed seven of the world’s tallest mountains in just over 3 years, and nabbed three of them in the space of one year. Keep an eye on this girl. She could be one of the greats…



Peripatetic Pasaban: “Damn, I’m tired…”

(Photo: via Explorer’s Web)