Race to the top

Pearl Going's bid to achieve one of the world's greatest sporting feats has seen the 26-year-old already realise two goals.

She reached the summit of Russia's Mt Elbrus, by the more difficult north face route, last August and made it to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro in November.

Pearl plans to beat British climber Annabelle Bond's record of becoming the fastest woman in the world to scale the seven summits in 360 days when she was 36.

While Africa's highest peak Mt Kilimanjaro may be perceived as "everybody's" summit, with its relative ease of access, Pearl set out to become the first New Zealand woman to do the full traverse of Kilimanjaro, more than 60km further than the more travelled route.

She and her team began the climb up the highly remote old Grand Traverse Route and reached the summit three days later to set a new traverse world record of about four days and nine hours.

"We ascended the summit in a full snow blizzard and finally made it to the top after eight hours of trekking from our campsite the previous evening."

Director of Adventure Consultants, Wanaka-based Guy Cotter, is the brains and mentor behind Pearl's mountaineering. He also coached world-record-holder Annabelle Bond. Coincidentally Mr Cotter was also on Mt Kilimanjaro, leading another expedition, and he met Pearl at the summit, along with fellow climber Suze Kelly.

Pearl says: "A few Kiwi jokes were traded and he gave me a perky banana to celebrate. It was a wonderful feeling to top out and see them there. I wouldn't be living my dream if it weren't for Guy and Suze, so to share that moment with them was sensational."

The next summit on her agenda is the highest peak outside of the Himalayas, Argentina's Mt Aconcagua, at 6962 metres, later this month.

Pearl has been spending her time in Wanaka and allowing her body to recover from a serious groin injury sustained on Mt Elbrus.

The recovery has seen her climbing schedule set back, causing her to miss the chance to climb Vinson Mansif in Antarctica this season. The delay means Pearl will have to reclimb both Mt Elbrus and Kilimanjaro in order to continue her quest to break Annabelle's record.

Pearl feels fortunate to have access to one of the" best training grounds in the world" in the Southern Alps.

Plus she has discovered she can handle high altitudes.

"On the mountain, you are at the mercy of many things – whatever God chooses to throw at you.

"All the skill and preparation in the world can go out the window if the weather closes in, or your body cannot cope with the pressures that high altitude brings."

After Argentina, Pearl plans to climb Mt Everest between April and June.

If successful, she will also become New Zealand's youngest woman to step atop the world's highest peak.

After Mt Everest, the remaining peaks include Mt Denali, Alaska, Carstenz Pyramid, West Papua, and Vinson Mansif, Antarctica.

Visit her website at www.pearlgoing.com to follow her progress.

- Waiheke Marketplace