Climber Bio

The Art of Climbing Mountains

René Daumal
Extraits du livre "LE MONT ANALOGUE (1952)" en français

You cannot always stay on the summits

You have to come down again . . .

So what’s the point?
Only this:
what is above knows what is below,
what is below does not know what is above.

 

 

 

 

Sophie Helenek started climbing in 2006.For 2 years, she cumulated the climbs to enhance her climbing technics. 

In May 2008, she succeeded in scaling Mount Everest (29,000+ feet) and becoming only the fourth and youngest French woman to accomplish the feat.


In 2009-2010, Sophie specialized herself in Alpine climbing, and open 7 new climbing route in the Andeans in South America. Those climbs are featured in the honorable Alpine Journal.

In October 2010, she resigned from her high level banking position in New York City to pursue climbing full time.

 

In 2011, she undertook the feast of climbing 5 mountains above 26,000ft. She summit in 5 months 4 8000 peak: Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Broad Peak, and Manaslu, and reach 26,000ft on K2 before to turn back due to bad weather.

 

 

 

 

Climb Sum up:

2006 Introduction to Mountain Climbing
1 - Ecuador - Cotopaxi 19,347ft : highest active volcano in the world
2 - USA - Mt Baker 10,778ft & Survival course
3 - Mexico - Iztaccihuatl 17,743 ft : 3rd highest mountain in Mexico
4 - Mexico - El Pisco de Orizaba 18,850ft : highest mountain in Mexico & 3 rd highest mountain in North America

 

2007 Mental and Physical Strenght Test
5 - Argentina - Aconcagua 22,829ft : highest peak in the world out of Asia
6 - Bolivia - Pico Austria 17,056ft
7 - Bolivia - Cerro Illusion 17,253ft
8 - Bolivia - South Face of Pequeno Alpamayo 17,618ft : technical climb
9 - Bolivia - Condoriri 18,530ft : technical climb
10 - Bolivia - Huayana Potosi 19,996ft : No stop at camps (base camp to summit)
11 - Mexico - Nevado de Toluca 15,390ft : 4th highest mountain in Mexico
12 - Mexico - Pena de Bernal 1,148ft : 3rd highest monolith in the world (rock climbing)

 

2008 First 8000m Peak
13 - Nepal - South Face of Mount Everest 29,000ft : highest mountain in the world Summit Video | Everest Base Camp Trek

2009 Introduction to Alpine Climbing read more
14 - Peru - Vallunaraju 17,700ft : No stop at camps (base camp to summit)
15 - Peru - South Face of Yanapacha 17,834ft : technical climb
16 - Peru - French Route of Alpamayo 19,505ft : technical climb
17 - Peru - Crudita Route of Pisco 18,897 ft : Woman Face first accent - technical climb
18 - Peru - North East Face of Artesonraru 19,682 ft : technical climb

2010 Specialize in opening NEW climbing routes read more
19 - Peru - North Face of Suiricocha: Woman Peak first Ascent - technical climb - New route opened : "Everything Is Possible"
20 - Peru - West Face of Manon : Woman Peak first Ascent - technical climb - New route opened : "Beyond Survivor"
21 - Peru - West Face of Vicunita : Woman Face first Ascent - technical climb - New route opened : "Sacred Ayahuasca"
22 - Peru - Paccha Peak
23 - Peru - South Face of Huantsan West Summit : Woman Face first Ascent - technical climb - New route opened : "Les Trois Mousquetaires”
24 - Peru - West Face of Huantsan North Summit : Woman Peak first Ascent - technical climb - New route opened : "Illusion"
25 - Peru - Huamashraju : Technical climb

 

2011 Specialize in climbing 8000m peaks
26 - Tibet - Cho Oyu (6th highest peak in the world) - summit : 05/05/11 read more27 - Nepal - Lhotse (4th highest peak in the world) - summit : 05/19/11 read more
Youngest French Woman to climb Lhotse
28 - Pakistan - Broad Peak (12th highest peak in the world) - summit : 07/25/11 read more
29 - Pakistan - K2 (12th highest peak in the world) - Reached only 8000m - turn back due to bad weather (white out coupled with high winds) 08/05/11 read more
30 - Nepal - Manaslu (8th highest peak in the world) - summit : 10/04/11 read more