For Ibrahimi, the mountains provided solace from the threat of Taliban resurgence. Scaling 5000 to 6000 meters in remote ranges, she ventured even higher than the peaks in her parents’ stories—now aided by mountaineering equipment thanks to her access to urban Afghanistan and formal training. But even with groups like Ascend helping to provide access to climbing lessons and gear, Afghanistan still has little climbing culture: harsh conditions deter those who haven’t grown up in the mountains, not to mention the risk of landmines, and a history of guerilla-style violence in rural areas. Even today, Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain, which covers 75% of the country, is unclimbed. “Climbing in Afghanistan is untouched and raw,” says Ibrahimi. “When you go, you feel like you’re the first person there.”
Her small window of freedom to climb Afghanistan’s mountains was short-lived; resurgent political turmoil reached such severity in 2019 that Ibrahimi sought refuge in the UK. The Taliban had been gradually regrouping, predominantly around the Pakistan border, and strengthened following the withdrawal of NATO in 2014. When foreign US troops controversially withdrew in 2021, as part of a 2020 peace agreement negotiated directly with the Taliban, the Afghan government was left to fight independently—and the subsequent takeover was swift. In less than two weeks, the Taliban regained control, forcing citizens back under an increasingly oppressive gender apartheid. Amnesty International reports that mandatory male chaperone restrictions for all women have now worsened to forbidding all unnecessary trips outside of their homes. Most recently, women were banned from speaking in public. Sports are distant memories.
“Suddenly a wall is in front of them that they can’t climb,” says Ibrahimi. “If they do, they’ll be killed. They are being forced by the Taliban to be silent.” By summiting Mount Everest next year, she hopes to climb that metaphorical wall for them—raising awareness and providing a symbol of strength and inspiration by breaking a record and pushing her message through her growing platform. “I want the women of Afghanistan to believe their place is not underground but on top of the world,” she says.
Compared to the Afghan mountains, Nepal is luxurious for Ibrahimi, with established base camps and well-trodden set-ups for climbers. However, this level of organization is costly: a climbing permit alone is priced at $11,000, along with additional expenses like a typically refunded, $4,000 trash permit. She’s raising huge funds herself through GoFundMe and social media, and the physical training is equally demanding. In preparation for the climb itself, she’s undergoing endurance, strength, and meticulous altitude training, including scaling 7,000 meters just days before she will ascend Everest: “I am training every day above Camp Four (nicknamed the Death Zone). I’m in an oxygen mask; I am training the lungs that I can’t see but I can feel.”
The mission to stand on top of the world isn’t enough for Freshta Ibrahimi, though. The climber is already planning her next step, launching The Unstoppable Project. Inspired by her own therapeutic relationship with nature, Ibrahimi will be aiding other women who have faced obstacles in accessing outdoor activities. Through a series of programs, including group hikes, climbing, and kayaking, she’s creating a community that has the capacity to both heal and empower, helping women to harness an unstoppable version of themselves. Ibrahimi is already running small hiking excursions to her local Peak District, a national park in the UK, for female refugees in Manchester. “Standing at the summit of Mount Everest will mean standing at the base of a different mountain,” she says.
