The first time that Viridiana Álvarez Chávez (Aguascalientes, 1983) climbed a high mountain was in her own country. It was the Citlaltépetl, better known as Pico de Orizaba, in Veracruz. "Along with the Nevado de Toluca, they are my favorite mountains in Mexico," he tells Verne , by phone. At 37, the mountaineer has achieved a Guinness Record for being the woman with the fastest ascent in three of the highest peaks in the world: Everest (8,848 meters), K2 (8,611) and Kanchenjunga (8,586) . The story began almost a decade ago, when he set a goal to exercise more.
3 of the world's highest mountains in a total of 2 years. See why we are amazed by the empowering achievements of Latin American Viridiana Álvarez Chávez https://t.co/3WmzWc8Ikf @virialvarezmx pic.twitter.com/JxdUFSSr3v
- GuinnessWorldRecords (@GWR) August 12, 2020He began exercising with a 10-kilometer run and months later he was on the so-called roof of the world. However, Álvarez's rising climbing career is now on hiatus. The covid-19 pandemic has indefinitely halted his project to climb the fourteen eight thousand (the fourteen highest mountains in the world, which exceed 8,000 meters of altitude above sea level). "I had a planned trip in April to climb Makalu (8,463 meters), which would have completed my fifth highest mountain," he says.
The health contingency is not the first barrier that Álvarez faces. She studied Business Administration in her hometown and when she raised the idea of climbing Everest, with a full-time job and asking for unpaid leave to fulfill her dream, many people called her 'crazy'. "My family always supported me, but when I said goodbye to them at the airport, I started to wonder if it was not the last time I saw them," he details.
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A post shared by Viridiana Alvarez (@virialvarezmx) on Aug 10, 2020 at 8:45 PDT
From the Bajío to the Himalayas
Located in the Bajío de México, in the city of Aguascalientes is the Cerro del Muerto. With just 2,440 meters of elevation above sea level, it was the place where the hydrocalida did its training, although it is far from being a mountain. "He went up and down dozens of times in a day with a 15-kilo backpack on his back," says Álvarez.
When he entered the Himalayas, he encountered several disadvantages. "My expedition companions, mostly Europeans, had the Alps to train, and I had to keep up with them," he recalls.
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A post shared by Viridiana Alvarez (@virialvarezmx) on May 10, 2019 at 6:25 PDT
The highest peak
When exceeding 6,000 meters of altitude, the lack of oxygen and the strong storms are two of the great problems that mountaineers face. "The days of walking and climbing are from eight to more than twenty hours in a single day," says Álvarez. "Suddenly you don't feel your fingers (because of the cold) and you have to ask yourself how much you want to be there, think about what you've worked and trained," he says.
Reaching the highest peak in the world is not, however, the hardest thing this athlete has faced. “Looking for sponsorships to be able to do my expeditions is frustrating,” she says. Unlike sports as popular as soccer or athletics, the small number of mountaineers in Mexico has put a much higher peak to reach. "As a woman and an athlete, you have to demonstrate twice the work you do," she says.
With less than a decade dedicated to climbing, the hydrocalida has faced severe questioning from its colleagues. "I have had some criticism, they have questioned my credentials and my preparation," he says. However, Álvarez believes that there is a new era in mountaineering, not only for athletes, but for women. "We all climbed this mountain," he concludes, with the purpose of climbing another five mountains of more than 8,000 meters in 2021, when the pandemic allows it.
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A post shared by Viridiana Alvarez (@virialvarezmx) on Jul 24, 2018 at 2:43 PDT
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