Viridiana Álvarez on Track for Breaking Monumental Climbing Record

Meet Viridiana Álvarez, a remarkable alpinist from Mexico who continues to make an impressive name for herself in the climbing community as she works toward breaking another record.

Viridiana Álvarez on the summit of Denali / Viridiana Álvarez

Skilled alpinist and Electrolit athlete, Viridiana Álvarez, is working toward reaching a unique climbing goal of becoming the first woman to have completed the "Seven Summits" challenge and the 14 peaks over 8,000 meters.

Álvarez, while no stranger to the mountains these days, did not grow up in a climbing environment. Born in Aguascalientes, Mexico, it wasn't until she was 30 that she began her climbing journey. Despite finding her passion later in life, she has accomplished more within the climbing world than most can dream of.

Previously, Álvarez broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest women's ascent of the three highest mountains with supplementary oxygen, finishing on May 15, 2019, after completing Kangchenjunga. However, her feats do not stop there as she is also the first Latin American to summit K2, the world's second-highest peak.

Recently, Álvarez returned from a successful climb on Denali, North America's highest peak with a summit success rate of 52%, in 19 days. With Denali now completed, she only has one more mountain to go, Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, before she completes her goal.

"It's 21 mountains, and I'm just missing one. It's very exciting to think about," she added as she discussed what her upcoming climb will look like. Álvarez shared that while climbing Carstensz Pyramid takes approximately one day, getting to the climbing location can be a challenge.

She explained that for her to achieve such a large objective, extensive training is necessary. Through running, cycling, and mountain biking, she has been working toward her dream of breaking this colossal world record.

"Even though it's important to train physically, the mind and brain are the ones who move the muscles," Álvarez stated. She emphasized the significance of maintaining proper physical conditioning but continues to find the mental components to be just as powerful.

Álvarez continues to share her story with the world in hopes of inspiring others to chase after their dreams. Her final climb is right around the corner and she is focused, determined, and eager to reach her goal, this fall, of becoming the first woman to have completed the "Seven Summits" challenge and the 14 peaks over 8,000 meters.