Rebecca: Kyrgyzstan, Pamir mountains – Lenin peak 2022

Expeditions

In 2022, after climbing several 5,000-meter peaks with my dogs, I set my sights on a peak over 7,000 meters—with my dog, of course. Kira, my first husky, was getting older, so Momo, my second Siberian husky, was my companion on this tour. The plan was to climb Lenin Peak in the Pamir Mountains of Kyrgyzstan, which stands at 7,134 meters.

I had to save up a lot of money for this trip, and many people looked down on me for spending so much on it. Of course, that didn’t deter me. The Nepalese Sherpas, the locals, and all the hikers who were on the mountain at the time—as soon as they saw Momo—admired and adored him, shouting his name from afar. Perhaps I had never been anywhere before where my dog was held in such high regard.

Since I didn’t know anyone who had hiked this high with a dog, I had to figure everything out on my own. I had crampons made for Momo so she could walk on the glacier, and I ordered a dog carrier from the U.S. so I could carry him across steep or crevasse-filled sections. In addition to my own acclimatization, I had to think about his as well. And in such a demanding environment, I didn’t just have to take care of myself—I always had to put my dog first and look out for him, too. Though he gave me so much more just by being there.

We had several acclimatization trips, during which we climbed, among other peaks, the 5,130-meter Yukhin Peak. There was a section on the glacier with a vertical wall where I had to carry Momo on my back—he weighed 25 kg along with my backpack. It was 5,000 meters above sea level, where, due to the lower air pressure, each breath contains half as many oxygen molecules—it wasn’t easy… That was the hardest part. But we did it.

We didn’t reach Lenin Peak with Momo at this time; we turned back at an altitude of 5,800 meters, but not because of Momo. For him, it was a piece of cake—like a leisurely stroll (he didn’t even get tired)—and he really enjoyed it. So we weren’t able to complete this tour, but of course, we plan to return.