Adventure in the heights: Najannguaq wants to climb the world's highest mountains

It's freedom. The feeling of being completely present in the present, without disturbing thoughts. Here, it's not the clock that decides. It's nature. Nature determines how the day takes shape. If the snow is too heavy, the stage has to be shorter. Then you adapt - and take it from there. A bit like our ancestors once did.

That's why she loves mountaineering. That's why a few years ago, she stood at base camp in Nepal, with the top of Mount Everest at eye level. At that moment, it dawned on her that she has it in her. She can read nature - the snow, the mountains, the conditions better than she had imagined.

As a Greenlander, she grew up moving in nature. That experience and understanding give her a special strength in the mountains.

Najannguaq Berthelsen dreams of climbing the world's seven highest peaks within the next two years. Her journey starts in July, when she travels to Russia and seriously starts realizing her long-standing dream.

- I'll start with Mount Elbrus, as the first, and it starts on July 6, Najannguaq Berthelsen tells AG.

With its 5,642 meters, Mount Elbrus is Europe's highest mountain and is located in the Russian part of the Caucasus Mountains. This is where Najannguaq Berthelsen takes the first step on her ambitious journey.

Natural skill

Najannguaq Berthelsen is 26 years old, born and raised in Sisimiut and has had nature close to her life since childhood.

- We spent a lot of time in nature when I was growing up. Later I found out how much important that part of my life is to me when I started to travel the world and experience other cultures, she says.

What Najannguaq has realized is that as a Greenlander, she has a natural and close relationship with nature.

- I discovered how much skill and knowledge we already have when it comes to getting around in nature - and especially in the mountains. It is something that we already learn in our childhood and that we have learned from our ancestors, which is everyday life for us. I realized that it is not common knowledge in other cultures, she says.

From the rugged, snow-covered slopes of Mount Elbrus in Russia, the trip will move on to a completely different landscape. The next destination will be Glacier Peak in the US state of Washington - one of the most isolated volcanoes in the Cascade Range. 18 days after Mount Elbrus.

Where the Caucasus Mountains rise raw and massively above the Russian terrain, in the USA a more desolate and inaccessible mountain awaits, surrounded by scenic old forests. New conditions and new challenges. But still with the same goal: to get one step closer to the world's seven highest peaks.

Everest as motivation

Three years ago, at the age of 23, she was in Nepal to be close to Mount Everest.

- I have always dreamed of being on the top of Mount Everest and I wanted to get close to the mountain, says Najannguaq Berthelsen.

She has stayed at base camp, which is the camp where mountaineers stay, prepare and acclimatize before attempting to climb Mount Everest.

- It was an unforgettable experience and that is where I really became focused on climbing Mount Everest, she says.

At base camp, the route is planned, the equipment is prepared, and the body gets used to the thin air at an altitude of over 5,000 meters.

- I could feel it on my body. I walked very slowly in the morning, the walks usually start before sunrise. If you haven't eaten or drunk properly, you quickly get a headache or get other symptoms very quickly, recalls Najannguaq Berthelsen.

In high school, Najannguaq and a friend started spending the night in tents to train their ability to navigate in nature in changing weather conditions.

- When a snowstorm came, we used to say: ajunngilaq, we're going to Mount Everest one day, and this is nothing compared to Mount Everest, she says.

Hope to inspire others

The next goal after Glacier Peak is Kilimanjaro - Africa's highest mountain and the world's highest free-standing mountain. It will be another step in her plan to climb the world's seven highest peaks. After that, the trip will go to the Matterhorn, which is not officially part of “The Seven Summits”, but is iconic and technically challenging with its 4,478-meter high peak in the Valais Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy.

Mount Vinson in Antarctica and Aconcagua in South America have already been dated, while the dates for Mount Everest and Denali are still missing.

- I expect to climb Mount Everest in April 2028, but it is still a bit unclear. I expect Mount Denali to be in March 2027. After I have completed five mountains, we will assess whether I need more time or whether I am ready for the next one, says Najannguaq Berthelsen.

Until her first trip, Najannguaq Berthelsen is preparing for her adventure in Alta in Norway, where she is currently training as an outdoor guide.

- I climb mountains and ski almost every day. I live in the interior and am very active, she says.

- I am very excited, and sometimes I remind myself that I am not dreaming. Of course, I am also nervous and a little scared sometimes, she says.

Najannguaq hopes to show that by climbing the world's seven highest mountains, she can focus on the great competence and knowledge that Greenlanders possess about nature.

- I also hope that I can inspire other Greenlanders to challenge themselves. Because our dreams can easily be done, she says.