Viridiana Álvarez Chávez: Mountain queen
Viridiana shows no fear when it comes to climbing the world’s biggest mountains.
With a passion for achieving the impossible, Viridiana’s life goal is to teach young people around the globe that anything is possible. 🗻
Conquering land, sea & sky
Growing up in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Viridiana was always fascinated by the environment that surrounded her.
She also loved athletics. She started with 10,000 metre races, before completing a half marathon and then a full marathon. 🏃♀️
Viridiana’s passion for both the environment and athletics came together when she competed in a half IRONMAN race - a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run. 🚴♀️🏊
However, she wasn’t happy with just exploring the land and sea. Viridiana wanted to aim for the skies.
Mountains are the place I can challenge myself and know myself better.
- Viridiana Álvarez Chávez
Up and away
So Viridiana traded her running shoes for climbing boots and started learning how to scale mountains. 🗻
Within two years, Viridiana had gone from running her first race to climbing Mexico’s tallest mountain, Pico de Orizaba (5,636 m; 18,491 ft).
However, Viridiana knew she could push herself further. She decided to attempt to break the record for the fastest ascent of the top three highest mountains with supplementary oxygen. 🧗
Becoming the fastest female climber
Her journey began in 2017 with the world’s highest mountain: Everest (8,848 m; 29,029 ft). 🗻
In 2018, Viridiana scaled K2 (8,611 m; 28,251 ft), the second-highest mountain in the world and considered to be the most dangerous. 😵
On 15 May 2019, Viridiana made history when she climbed to the top of Kangchenjunga (8,856 m; 28,169 ft), the third-highest mountain.
Viridiana climbed all three mountains in a total of 1 year 364 days.
She also became the first Latin American woman to successfully summit K2. 😃
“My career as a mountaineer started with an unusual and inspirational purpose: a simple personal challenge to exercise, but I ended up giving up my office job; risking comfort to experience the magic of the mountains."
"It was proof that dreams do not have to be lifelong dreams and that anyone who sets them can achieve even what are considered ‘unattainable goals,’ such as breaking a world record,” Viridiana said. 💪
Viridiana’s next ambition is to conquer the 14 highest mountains in the world – she has already done five of them! 😎
In addition to mountaineering, Viridiana is a public speaker for youth conferences and events, promoting her message of breaking barriers and achieving the impossible.
She teaches the importance of emotional intelligence, a positive attitude, discipline, and consistency to achieve your goals.
The only limits we set for ourselves, are the ones in our minds.
- Viridiana Álvarez Chávez
