Krisli Melesk on 23 May became the first Estonian woman to ever conquer the peak of the tallest mountain in the world – Mount Everest.
According to the Madison Mountaineering website, Melesk ascended to the peak of Mt Everest at 10:10 AM local time on Sunday, 23 May, together with 13 other climbers.
The 35-year-old woman from Tallinn told the Postimees newspaper that she spent there several dozen minutes, enjoying the moment and the breathtakingly beautiful sight.
“The weather was wonderful. So, we spent nearly three quarters of an hour at the summit,” she told the newspaper on Sunday afternoon from Camp IV.
By conquering the Mt Everest peak, Melesk became the first Estonian woman to do so and only the fourth Estonian ever. The first Estonian to conquer the peak was Alar Sikk on 22 May 2003.
Another Estonian, Katrin Merisalu, reached Camp IV – located at 26,000 feet (7,924 metres) – but then announced she wouldn’t be ascending further and started her descent, according to the website.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain above sea level on Earth. It’s located in the Himalayan mountains and the China-Nepal border runs across its summit. Its elevation is 29,031.7 feet (8,838.86 metres).
Cover: Krisli Melesk in 2017. Photo: Krisli Melesk’s Facebook page.
