Meet the adventurer

Vanessa O’Brien on her epic expeditions

What was it like descending into Challenger Deep, and how was it done?

It was surreal climbing into a titanium globe that slowly sank into darkness. The bottom, which took four hours to reach, looked like the moon. It’s a highly unusual and unexplored place.

Reaching the bottom — 35,843ft under the Pacific Ocean — requires a submersible that can resist immense pressure. This new two-person vessel could make the full journey, complete the survey and mapping works, and allow us to take water samples to test acidification. We know very little about the bottom of the ocean — 90% isn’t mapped, which is staggering.

Were you ever afraid?

No, I’m never afraid. With the extreme amount of focus and concentration that it takes — and this is as true on the mountains as it is underwater — there isn’t really room for fear. Things will go wrong. Some batteries will die and you’ll think, what if we can’t get up? But the only thing you do is troubleshoot and get into a left-brain way of thinking.

How does it feel to be the first woman to reach both the highest and lowest points on Earth?

It means a lot to hold this record because by the time I was born, all of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks had already been summited. Even Challenger Deep had already been reached.

When I talk to students, they ask “why should we bother if it’s already been done before?” And I tell them that the planet is constantly changing, and there are always ways to participate and give back through mapping and survey work, film and photography, and understanding human limits using your own body. No two journeys are ever exactly the same.

Why did you decide to be a mountaineer?

I wasn’t working as a result of the 2008 economic crisis, and having nothing to do is dangerous for me. I was having an existential crisis. Then one day, somebody suggested climbing Everest and it just resonated.

The penny dropped.

But after I summited Everest, it still wasn’t a good time to go back to work. I picked up a map and looked at the Seven Summits [the highest mountains on each continent], and there was Denali, the highest in North America, calling to me. Each continent has a climbing season, and they all follow each other, so Denali follows Everest, Elbrus [Europe’s highest] follows Denali, and so on. That’s how it all started.

Which of your expeditions proved the most challenging and why?

For me, it was K2 [the world’s second highest mountain]. I never thought it would take three attempts, but each one taught me something important.

The first year, we made it to Camp 2, but I realised it would be too risky to summit as a large team. The second year, I led my own expedition, but an avalanche tore through stashed equipment, supplies and oxygen at Camp 3, and I realised I wasn’t as independent as I thought. The final year was also tough — we were the only team to summit. I gained a love and appreciation for Pakistan, which would never have happened if I’d hightailed it out of there after a year.

What advice would you give to those who want to follow in your footsteps?

I think of mountaineering as a metaphor. It’s there to inspire people — especially girls and women — to do anything they want to do. Dream big and bold. It doesn’t have to be conquering a mountain. Have confidence and curiosity. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and take calculated risks.

In 2017, Vanessa became the first British woman to climb K2. In 2020, she became the first woman to journey into Challenger Deep.

To the Greatest Heights: Facing Danger, Finding Humility, and Climbing a Mountain of Truth is out now. Quercus Books, RRP: £20 vobonline.com