EverestHistory.com:
ELSA ÁVILA BELLO aka Elsa Carsolio

ELSA AVILA born the 11th November 1963 in Mexico. Profession: Civil Engineer Occupation:  Business woman

Sport career: At the age of 15, she began rock climbing. She dedicated many years to it, specializing in ‘Big wall’ ascents in Yosemite, the Rockies, the Alps, the Andes, the Himalayas, Patagonia and Baffin Island.

She has participated in 8 expeditions to different mountains in the Himalayas, reaching more than 8,000 meters on 6 occasions, culminating in 1987 with her ascent of Shishapangma (8,047 meters) where she made the first traverse of the shoulder between the west summit and the main summit. In doing so, she became the first Latin American woman to reach an 8,000 meters summit. 

In 1989, she reached the south summit of Everest at 8,750 m., only 98 meters from the summit (8,848 m) She decided to descend due to serious hypoxia.

She has achieved many Mexican first ascents, and some world firsts. For example she made the first female ascent of the Aguja Poincenot in Patagonia and the south face of Svanvhit, in the Arctic (Baffin Island).

In 1992, she returned to the Himalayas with the intention of climbing Kanchenjunga (3rd highest mountain in the world at 8,586 meters) and which at that time had not been climbed by any women. She had to turn back at 7,850 meters when she was caught in a fierce storm, which left here with severe frostbite in her fingers and hands – she still hasn’t fully recovered from these injuries.

After a period during which she didn’t go back to high mountains and during which she engaged in other sporting activities, she returned to the Himalayas in 1999 and on the 5th May she reached the summit of Everest, in doing so she became the first Latin American woman to reach it.

Currently, she participates in extreme team sporting events which include swimming, climbing, running, mountain biking, orienteering and rafting, to name but a few.

She has received numerous prizes for her sporting achievements including in 1985, the National Youth Prize. She was named sportswoman of the century for climbing by CONADE and the Government of the Republic. The book, Experiences in the Himalaya – Adventure of Hope which was written in conjunction with Carlos Carsolio received the Editorial Merit Prize in 1991.

Elsa’s philosophy and her attitude in confronting risks had allowed her to reach high points in many areas of life. She has two children (Karina and Santiago) and has great success as a  business woman and lecturer.

At the moment she heads up the Carsolio Centre for Motivational Excellence where she helps a select group of instructors develop leadership programmes for young people and gives motivational courses for executives of major Mexican businesses.

ELSA ÁVILA BELLO

PRINCIPAL INTERNATIONAL ASCENTS

NOTES:

1 NA                 FIRST MEXICAN ASCENT

1 A                   FIRST ASCENT

1 FA                 FIRST FEMALE ASCENT

1 FLA                FIRST LATIN AMERICAN FEMALE ASCENT

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY (difficulty international notation):

LD                    LITTLE DIFFICULT

SD                   SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT

D                     DIFFICULT

VD                   VERY DIFFICULT

ED                    EXTREMELY DIFFICULT

EverestHistory.com: The women Summiters on Everest

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