Edurne Pasaban developed her passion for the mountains while hiking in the Pyrenees with her parents. At age 17, she took her first mountain-climbing trip to the Alps. She scaled her first 6,000-meter mountain in Ecuador at age 18. After her first trip to the Himalayas in 1998, Edurne set about conquering the world’s tallest mountains. Upon reaching the summit of Shishapangma in 2010, she became the first woman to climb all 14 eight-thousanders.
In addition to her athletic pursuits, Edurne is also an accomplished professional. After studying industrial engineering at the University of the Basque Country, she began her career at the family business, Pasaban, which designs and manufactures high-tech machinery for the paper industry. She later founded her own business, Abeletxe, a unique event venue in the Basque Country. Edurne is also a sought-after speaker and coach. Drawing on her experiences as a mountaineer, she organizes customized talks and workshops where she helps individuals and teams to achieve their goals.
Edurne is committed to helping the people of the Himalayas, who have given her so much over the years. She is a founder of the foundation Mountaineers for Himalayas by Edurne Pasaban, which supports educational projects for children in the region.
