CATHY O'DOWD ATTEMPTS A FIRST

South African adventurer, Cathy O’Dowd, was the first woman in the world to climb Everest from both sides. Now she’s attempting another first - reaching the summit of the world’s ninth highest mountain, Nanga Parbat, via the Himalayan Mazeno Ridge, a difficult route that has never been climbed all the way to the top. Nanga Parbat, along with K2, is one of the two hardest mountains in the world. Cathy's start date is 09 June. On this expedition her team of six won’t see any other climbers for six weeks. The team consists of three Sherpas and two British climbers. Cathy has spent a lot of time ski touring in the Pyrenees, where she lives, and trail running. She is climbing to support UK-SA charity, Wilderness Foundation, founded by conservationist Ian Player. Cathy will be blogging her trip at http://mazenoridge.com/