A TALE OF SIBLINGHOOD AT 7,000 METERS

 

Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier and her brother embarked on an adventure in the heart of the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan. Their goal? To explore and climb peaks exceeding 7,000 meters in altitude. It was a first for Laura, who shares with us their moments of triumph and the difficult choices they faced, through the lens of the power of siblinghood.

"My brother and I went to the Pamir region in Tajikistan to explore and climb 7,000-meter peaks. It was my first time at such an altitude. It was very interesting to see how my body reacts above 7,000 meters.

Our first base camp was at 4,300 meters, where oxygen was scarce. We completed the first acclimatization phase and spent our first night at 5,000 meters. That night was incredible; we had a clear, starry sky. We were the only ones there. It was so special.

The following two days, we reached camps 2 and 3, then spent our first night above 6,000 meters. Progress was slow due to our heavy backpacks. We set up the tent and then set off to climb Peak Korzhenevskaya at 7,105 meters. It was a magical moment to experience with my brother. We achieved our goal, our dream through this sibling adventure—a truly special feeling for both of us.

When we returned to base camp, we felt good. We rested for a few days to recover, then were ready to attempt the second summit, Ismail Samani Peak, which reaches 7,495 meters. There was no track, no one had been there before us, so we had to wait for the guides to set up fixed ropes so we could climb together. It was impressive to see how they prepared such a route, ensured safety, and blazed the trail.

Weather conditions changed rapidly. At first, everything was covered in snow. Gradually, temperatures became increasingly freezing, especially during the last two days before the summit. We had fresh snow up to our knees, in which we had to break a trail."

"On summit day, after a night at 7,000 meters, it was extremely cold; I had to put on every piece of clothing I had. We progressed, but our feet were getting dangerously cold, and it was becoming harder and harder to warm up. At 7,100 meters, I decided to turn back. I wanted to return safely and with all my toes. It was a very difficult decision for me because, with my brother, we wanted to reach the summit together. I finally let him go on with the others. Upon returning to camp, it took me over an hour to warm up my feet.

It is in these moments that you realize the importance of your gear. You must be able to trust it, even when it is freezing cold, or when there are strong winds or extreme temperatures. We carried all our gear ourselves, so weight was an important aspect of the expedition. Our backpacks weighed 25 kilograms: with heavier gear, I doubt all of this would have been possible.

Now that the expedition is over, I am back home and I feel very lucky and grateful to have been able to experience all of this: reaching a 7,000-meter summit with my brother, but also having the ability to make good decisions at high altitude while observing how my brain and body react. I discovered a new country, new mountains, and very inspiring mountaineers. I am sure I will go back."