The Summit of Survival: Gaby Nel's Dangerous Ascent of Everest

World Extreme Medicine Podcast

Today we are joined by Dr. Gaby Nel, who has conquered not only insurmountable peaks but also the boundaries of human resilience and courage. An empowering tale of survival, courage and determination awaits you as Gaby, the youngest South African woman and doctor to summit Everest, shares her breathtaking recollections from Everest's death zone. With frostbitten fingers and trekking through the notorious Himalayan weather, Gaby braved near-death experiences and made life-altering decisions at nearly 30,000 feet.

Adventuring and medicine, the two very separate entities that somehow merge into a symbiosis of passion in her life. From doing outreach work in rural clinics of Tanzania, volunteering in disability centres in Cambodia to working on the frontline in South Africa during the Covid pandemic; Gaby has always taken every opportunity to explore our world and contribute in any capacity she can. Growing up in South Africa with her youth spent running around like a wild child in the African bush, her love for exploring began. This continued into her adult life and after graduating from the University of Western Australia, she endeavoured to take every opportunity to provide medical assistance wherever needed alongside her adventures which simply grew more extreme. Alongside her love for emergency medicine and surgery, mountaineering became her interest area. From Kilimanjaro to Everest she continues to challenge herself and live by the motto “climb your own climb" Starred with moments challenging her professional obligation as a doctor and being a climber up against the odds of Everest, Gaby’s story is as riveting as it is inspiring. Navigating through the treacherous complications of frostbite, altitude sickness, and climbing setbacks, she emerged a survivor and a beacon of human spirit. So, brace yourselves as we delve into her journey, from comforting her family miles away, to being rescued and her subsequent recovery journey, featuring experiences that transformed her views on life, her career and the mountains. Welcome to a journey of ascents, descents, survival, and the immersive odyssey of Everest with Gaby Nel.