On May 20, 2025, our passionate ambassador and mountaineer from Victoriaville, Marie-Pier Desharnais, made history by becoming the first Quebecer - and one of the very few women in the world - to reach the 8,586m peak of Kangchenjunga, the third-highest summit on the planet, on the Indo-Nepalese border.
This Himalayan giant is no easy feat: unstable avalanche corridors, unpredictable weather, and a mortality rate about twice that of Everest make it one of the most feared mountains. For Marie-Pier, it was this uncompromising mountain that pushed her to surpass herself, as she shared on her Instagram account: " I gave everything I had — like never before."
We are more than proud to see her pushing her limits with such determination.
Several days of struggle for five minutes at the summit
The team, comprised of three climbers and three Sherpas, arrived at base camp on April 30. During their first ascent attempt, they had to turn back when one of the guides suffered from altitude sickness at 7,600 meters. Ten days later, they found a narrow weather window that allowed them to continue their climb.
Marie-Pier described on her Instagram account that the summit push was incredibly challenging due to the intense cold. She mentioned that she only stayed at the summit for barely five minutes before descending.
A Shock at High Altitude
A few meters from the summit, she comes across the lifeless body of Margareta Morin, a French mountaineer she had met at the camp a few days earlier.
"I started to cry [...] It wasn't the first time I had seen a death in the mountains, but this time, I knew her. It really touched me." - Journal de Montréal, June 1st, 2025*
They had shared simple moments, tents side by side. Recognizing her backpack, Marie-Pier said she "felt mortality" and continued the ascent "tormented". A poignant reminder of human fragility at 8,000 meters.
Energy as a Breath of Clarity
The Kangchenjunga not only tested her body, but also probed her most intimate resilience. The climb was tough, marked by the unpredictable and the unacceptable. Everything, at one point or another, could have shattered her momentum.
But Marie-Pier Desharnais did not give in. "I will not give up on the passion that saved my life," she confides to the Journal de Montréal*, also recalling that she had already experienced the unimaginable: the 2004 tsunami. At 8,500 meters as well as in the midst of a natural disaster, she continues to draw from the strength forged by the ordeal.
She explains: "The line is blurred between determination and stubbornness. I don't suffer from summit fever and I have turned back several times." - Journal de Montréal, June 1st, 2025*
But this time, it was different: "I didn't have the feeling that everything depended on me, like at K2. My feeling was that I had to give it my all and that my energy would make the difference." - Journal de Montréal, June 1st, 2025*
And after?
Despite a temporary loss of sensitivity in eight of her toes, Marie-Pier Desharnais does not plan on slowing down. Upon her return to Kathmandu, she confirmed her intention to honor her commitments in Bolivia, where she will accompany a group to high altitudes starting in June.
"I will save my toes, which are wine red and not black, but I was really scared. When I am barefoot, I have no balance. With some dips and physiotherapy, the nerves will reconnect. I will wear heated socks and do hydrotherapy," she confided to the Journal de Montreal*.
Even marked by this experience, she remains faithful to her mission: to share the mountain with others, one step, one summit, one story at a time.
When a woman reaches 8,586 meters with our clothes on her back... let's say we feel a little proud. 💚 Congratulations, Marie-Pier, on this incredible ascent. Thank you for choosing us to accompany you on this extraordinary adventure—and above all, for inspiring us to push our limits, always a little higher, a little further.
Learn more about Marie-Pier Desharnais by visiting her ambassador page.
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* Free translation of the original version from the Journal de Montréal
🏔️ Did you know?
📍 8,586 m: The Kangchenjunga is the 3rd highest peak in the world
🎒 Less than 500 people have reached it, including less than 30 women
🍁 Marie-Pier Desharnais is one of the few Canadians - and the first Quebecer - to reach the summit
👣 Little alpine traffic: less than 50 people per year attempt the summit
📸 Less publicized than Everest, it remains one of the most feared peaks by experienced climbers
🌫️ Unpredictable weather: storms can last for several days without warning
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