Fifty, Footsteps, and Finding My Way Back to the Mountains

When I turned 30, I set myself a challenge: 30 new experiences for my 30th year. I did it again at 40 — chasing newness, learning, and personal growth. But 50 felt different.

It wasn’t about doing more. It was about going deeper — living with greater presence, connection, and purpose. That’s what led me back to the Himalayas. Back to Nepal. Back to the mountains that shaped so much of who I am.

A Life Built in the Mountains

From my earliest memories, the mountains have been home. I was three when I ran my first mile with my dad in Cooper Park, Elgin. My dad was a gifted fell runner in Scotland. Every weekend, our family escaped to the hills in a tiny caravan so he could race, and we could breathe mountain air. We didn’t have much, but we had that.

That love for rugged landscapes stayed with me through every stage of life — from studying outdoor education as a PE teacher to leading youth expeditions in Brazil, Romania, and beyond. Nepal, though, holds a special place in my heart. I spent significant time there from 2012 to 2014, falling deeply in love with its people, its peaks, and its spirit.

And then life moved on. Different adventures, different focuses. But Nepal remained with me.

A Summit with Significance

When Jo Bradshaw mentioned an expedition to Yala Peak, I hesitated. It didn’t immediately call to me — until I learned the reason behind it.

2025 marked the 50th anniversary since Junko Tabei became the first woman to summit Everest. A trailblazer who led the first all-female team, Junko returned two years later to climb Yala Peak. She was also the first woman to complete the Seven Summits. Her name, like so many women’s, has faded from public memory — yet her achievements remain awe-inspiring.

And it struck me: 50 years since Junko’s summit. 50 years of my life.
Could there be a more fitting tribute?

Our climb would also pass through the Langtang Valley, devastated in the 2015 earthquake. While I wasn’t in Nepal then, I had been there just a year before. I knew those places, those people. This journey became not just a celebration, but a quiet act of remembrance too.

15 Women, One Dream

Our team? Fifteen women. Ages 29 to 71. Different countries. Different backgrounds. Different reasons for being there.

And yet, from the first moment, we gelled. Shared stories, laughter, purpose. We were each carrying something — a memory, a loss, a goal — and we carried each other up that mountain.

For me, it was a return to who I am. A woman who loves movement. A woman who feels most alive in the elements. A woman whose strength is in her consistency. I’d trained well and felt strong — body and mind. I relished the altitude. I felt vibrant and powerful. And I remembered why these wild places matter.

The Power of Being Present

There’s something sacred about being in the mountains with no signal, no screens, no distractions. It’s a full-body reset. You hear your breath. You hear your thoughts. You see beauty so vast it silences you.

I came home feeling lighter — in body and spirit. The expedition was magical. We shared hard climbs, soft conversations, unexpected encounters (yes, even a chat with climber Leo Houlding and his daughter Freya). We honoured Junko. Those whose lives were tragically lost at Langtang. We honoured ourselves.

What’s Next?

My 50th birthday challenge is complete. So, what’s my 51st?
The Everest Marathon. In May 2026, I’ll trek from Lukla to Everest Base Camp, spend two nights sleeping at 5,364m, and then run a marathon back down to Namche Bazaar — all under 14 hours. And the next day – walk back to Lukla!

It’s ambitious. But I know now, without a shadow of doubt, that I can do hard things. I can set long-term goals that speak to my soul. I can celebrate aging not by chasing youth, but by deepening meaning.

And I can keep walking — with purpose, with gratitude, and always toward the mountains.