18-year-old Bianca Adler makes history with Everest summit after turning back last year

Eighteen-year-old Bianca Adler has made history by becoming the youngest Australian to summit Mount Everest, reaching the peak at 8,849 meters in the pre-dawn darkness. This remarkable achievement comes exactly one year after a previous attempt was cut short just 400 meters from the summit due to dangerous weather conditions.

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I couldn’t see anything; there was snow blowing everywhere. It was an extremely tough decision, but I always want to choose life over a potential summit.

Adler's journey to the top began long before her Everest expeditions. Growing up in the French Alps, she developed a passion for mountaineering early on. By the age of 16, she had already set records as the youngest woman to conquer both Mount Manaslu and Ama Dablam, demonstrating exceptional skill and ambition.

Her first attempt at Everest in May 2025 ended at 8,450 meters when high winds and the threat of frostbite forced her to turn back. The decision was agonizing but prioritized safety. She and her father, Paul, were later diagnosed with altitude sickness and dehydration during that expedition, underscoring the extreme risks involved.

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I feel really good up here actually, like physically I feel great.

Undeterred, Adler spent the next year in rigorous training and acclimatization. She and her father returned to Nepal in April 2026, undertaking a month-long acclimatization process before embarking on their second summit push. After a challenging overnight climb from Camp 4, battling temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius, Adler finally reached her goal, embodying resilience and the spirit of never giving up.

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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...It’s extremely dangerous up there and you feel very nervous for