A STORY OF BROTHERHOOD AT 7,000 METERS

 

Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier and her brother set off on an adventure into the heart of Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains. Their objective? To explore and climb peaks topping 7,000 meters. It was a first for Laura, who shares with us their moments of triumph and the difficult choices they faced, through the prism of the power of fraternity.

"My brother and I went to the Pamir region of 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 metres, where oxygen was scarce. We spent the first acclimatization phase and the first night at 5,000 meters. That night was incredible, with a clear, starry sky. We were the only ones there. It was so special.

Over the next two days, we reached camps 2 and 3, then spent the first night at over 6,000 metres. Progress was slow because of our heavy backpacks. We set up the tent and then set off to climb the Korschenewskaja peak at 7,105 meters. It was a magical moment to experience with my brother. We reached our goal, our dream, through this brotherly adventure, a truly special feeling for both of us.

By the time we got back to base camp, we were feeling fine. We rested for a few days to recuperate, and then we were ready to attempt the second summit, Ismail Samani Peak at 7495 metres. There were no tracks, no one had been there before us, so we had to wait for the guides to lay down fixed ropes so we could climb together. It was impressive to see how they prepared such an itinerary, ensured safety and mapped out the route.

Weather conditions changed rapidly. At first, everything was covered in snow. Gradually, the temperatures became colder and colder, especially on the last two days before the summit. We had fresh snow up to our knees, in which we had to dig tracks.

On the day of the summit, after a night at 7,000 metres, it was extremely cold, so I had to put on all the clothes I had. As we progressed, our feet were getting dangerously cold and it was getting harder and harder to keep warm. At 7,100 metres, I decided to turn back. I wanted to get back 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 with the others. On the way back to camp, it took me over an hour to warm up my feet.

It's at times like these that you realize how important your equipment is. You have to be able to rely on it, even when it's very cold, with strong winds or very high temperatures. We carried all our equipment ourselves, so weight was an important aspect of the expedition. Our backpacks weighed 25 kilograms: with heavier equipment, I doubt all this would have been possible.

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