Young climber completes Everest after setback

In the pre-dawn darkness of the world’s highest mountain, 18-year-old Bianca Adler from Melbourne stood on top of the world. Adler has become the youngest Australian to summit Mount Everest, completing a feat that had eluded her just 12 months earlier.

At about 2:20am Nepal time, after an eight-hour climb from Camp 4 at 8,000 metres, Bianca reached the 8,849-metre summit alongside her guides, Pemba and Ngdu. A social media post just before 8am AEST announced the news to the world.

A dream deferred

Bianca’s journey to the summit began long before she set foot on Everest. Growing up in the French Alps, she developed a love for the mountains at a young age. By her teens, she was already setting records, becoming the youngest woman to summit both Manaslu (8,163m) and Ama Dablam (6,812m) at just 16, according to ABC News.

In May 2025, on her first attempt, Bianca made it to 8,450 metres — just 400 metres from the summit — before dangerous weather forced her to turn back. Strong winds posed a safety risk, and her hands and toes were going numb, the first sign of frostbite.

“I couldn’t see anything; there was snow blowing everywhere,” she wrote on Instagram after making it back to safety. “It was an extremely tough decision, but I always want to choose life over a potential summit.”

She made another attempt the following night but was overcome with exhaustion. Both she and her father, Paul, were diagnosed with high-altitude pulmonary oedema and dehydration during that expedition.

A year of preparation

Bianca did not give up. She spent the next year training, acclimatising and preparing for a second attempt. In April 2026, she and Paul returned to Nepal, spending a month acclimatising on different mountains and visiting Camp 2 before resting at Base Camp for a week.

They needed repairs to their climbing ropes and better weather before making a push towards the summit. That involved a 1am departure to go up through the icefall, rest at Camp 1, then continue onto Camp 2 where Paul remained. After two nights, Bianca continued on and began the final climb.

She left Camp 4 around 6pm, climbing through the night in temperatures as low as -20 degrees.

The summit push

In a radio call with her father from the summit, Bianca said she felt “really good, but the weather is really bad”.

“I feel really good up here actually, like physically I feel great,” she told Paul, who was waiting at Camp 2 in -20 degree conditions.

“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 your life,” Paul said, according to ABC News.

Bianca’s mother, Fiona, who was the third Australian woman to summit Everest, said the early summit time was a small price to pay for a safe and successful climb.

“She is there well before the masses of people still on their way up...This is important for safety as it’s meant that she’s been able to climb at her pace and not get stuck and get cold in a long queue,” Fiona said.

Descent and family pride

After reaching the summit, Bianca began her descent. By early morning, she had made it back to Camp 4, still in the “death zone” where there is not enough oxygen to sustain human life for an extended period.

“I feel pretty awful, but I still have to go to Camp 2,” Bianca said in a short recording, struggling for breath. “I’m just resting, I’m just trying to take it one step at a time.”

“It was so beautiful. Coming down was definitely a lot harder though. But, yes, it’s really tough.”

Paul and Fiona were emotional and proud of their daughter’s achievement.

“She was very determined and motivated to do this... We’re extremely proud of what she’s done; just having a goal and a dream and working for many years towards it. It’s a very proud moment for us,” her father said.

Bianca takes the title of the youngest Australian to summit Mt Everest from Gabby Kanizay, who reached the top as a 19-year-old in 2022.

A message to others

“Climbing for me isn’t just about the views on the summit, it’s about pushing myself and training towards a goal. I trained enough to feel good, and be able to appreciate being the highest person in the world, to point out mountains on the descent, and to have stayed safe the whole climb. I have dreamed of this moment ever since I first learnt about Everest, and I’m so happy everything went well. I am so grateful for all of the support by my friends, family and various communities 💓💓 I truly hope I can inspire more young people to do hard things, set big goals and work towards them!” she said in a social media post on May 21, 2026.

For Bianca, the adventure is not over yet. She still has to finish her final year of high school. “That’s going to be her next goal, is getting through year 12,” her father said, according to ABC News.