From Africa to Antarctica: How Kazakh Mountaineer Anar Burasheva Conquered Seven Continents

Mountaineer Anar Burasheva is the first Kazakh woman to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents and has already summited three of the world’s fourteen eight-thousanders. Her path is demanding and dangerous, yet, as she notes, it is achievable with discipline and preparation. On some summits, she can remain only for a few seconds, as lingering would be unsafe; on others, she is able to pause briefly, take in the view, and absorb the scale of the landscape. Above 8,000 meters, however, one rule always applies: descend on time. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Burasheva discusses why the mountains erase distinctions of gender, why turning back can be the wisest decision, and how extreme altitude reveals a person’s true character. TCA: You are in high demand right now. Is that because you are one of the few women engaged in such an extreme sport? Burasheva: That plays a role, but I think the main reason is that the approach to covering such achievements has changed. In the past, women’s accomplishments in our society did not receive sufficient attention. Now the opposite is true, and that’s good; it creates role models for young girls. TCA: You are currently in Ridder, in East Kazakhstan. Is that your hometown? Is that where your love of mountaineering began? Burasheva: Ridder is where my mother lives. I was born in Serebryansk, also in East Kazakhstan, but our family moved to Ridder long ago, and from there I later moved to Almaty. Yes, the region is mountainous. Our peaks are not as high as those near Almaty, but they are wilder, two- and three-thousand-meter mountains. From certain points in Serebryansk, you can clearly see Mount Belukha, about 4,500 meters high, with its snow-white summit covered in glaciers year-round. TCA: Have you climbed it? Burasheva: Not yet. Even though it is lower than the eight-thousanders I have climbed, it still requires serious preparation. It’s a difficult peak. I hope to climb it this year or next. My love for the mountains began in childhood in East Kazakhstan, but my passion for high-altitude mountaineering developed in Almaty. TCA: You became the first Kazakh woman to complete the Seven Summits. What did you feel standing on the final summit? Burasheva: Pride and gratitude that everything worked out despite the difficulties. But emotions depend on the summit and the weather. On Denali, the highest peak in North America, we stayed on top for just 11 seconds. We took photos and immediately descended because of strong winds. One person in our group showed signs of frostbite; the tip of their nose turned white, so we had to leave quickly. TCA: And on Everest? Burasheva: We stayed about half an hour. Conditions were more favorable. But Everest is above 8,000 meters, the so-called death zone, and you cannot remain there long because oxygen is limited. On Aconcagua, by contrast, it was so warm that I was even able to rest briefly at the summit while waiting for...