Bianca Adler, 18, Becomes Youngest Australian to Summit Mount Everest

Melbourne teenager reaches 8,849-meter peak, breaking national record

"I feel really good up here actually, like physically I feel great."
— Bianca Adler, from her summit radio call

Bianca Adler, an 18-year-old Year 12 student from Melbourne, reached the summit of Mount Everest on Wednesday, setting a record as the youngest Australian to do so. She reached the 8,849-meter peak at approximately 2:20 AM Nepal time (6:30 AM Melbourne time), guided by climbing partners Pemba and Ngdu, according to her Garmin data and social media posts.

Ascent Details

Adler departed from Camp 4 around 6:00 PM the previous evening. Her father, Paul Adler, stated that climbing after dark was a deliberate safety measure to avoid crowds and maintain a personal climbing pace.

The previous record was held by Gabby Kanizay, who summited at age 19 in 2022.

Weather and Conditions

In a radio call recorded for her blog, Adler reported feeling "really good" but described the weather as "really bad," with wind and cold. Her father stated that Adler was attempting to summit quickly ahead of forecast high winds.

Adler noted the descent was more difficult, citing the need for extra caution and delays due to queues of about a dozen climbers in technical sections between the South Summit and the summit.

Family Background

Adler was accompanied for part of the journey by her parents, Paul and Fiona, both experienced mountaineers. Her mother, Fiona Adler, was the third Australian woman to summit Everest. Her father, Paul Adler, summited in 2007. The couple received a congratulatory letter from then-prime minister John Howard upon their own summit.

Paul Adler accompanied Bianca to Base Camp and climbed to Camp 2 (approximately 6,500 m) during her summit attempt.

Previous Attempt

This was Adler’s second attempt. Her first Everest climb in 2024 was abandoned at 8,450 m due to dangerous weather and risk of frostbite. She and her father were later diagnosed with high-altitude pulmonary edema and dehydration.

Before the successful summit attempt, Adler and her father spent a month acclimatizing in Nepal, including climbing other mountains and visiting Camp 2.

Current Status

As of Wednesday afternoon, Adler was resting at Camp 4 (approximately 8,000 m). She reported feeling "pretty awful" but was resting before continuing to Camp 2, where her father is waiting. They plan to descend together to Base Camp.

Statements

Paul Adler: "I spoke to her on the summit and she said she was very cold, it was windy but she felt OK, and they were going to take some pictures quickly and get out of there."

Paul Adler: "We're extremely proud of what she's done — just having a goal and a dream and working for many years towards it."

Climber Greg Mortimer (first Australian to summit Everest in 1984) described the feat as "extraordinary" and noted that "people can come unstuck coming down off high mountains."

Future Plans

Adler intends to return to Melbourne to complete Year 12 exams at St Leonard's College. Nepal’s Department of Mountaineering reported that 410 foreign climbers had been issued permits for the spring season, with a fee of US$15,000 per climber.