Araceli Segarra is a multifaceted woman if there ever was one. He has dedicated his life to his true passion: the mountains. She has practiced all types of sports that relate her to that environment in which she is so well involved and has traveled around the world climbing the highest peaks. She has a great track record to her credit, although not only as a climber, but we can also see her filming documentaries, collaborating on radio and television programs or even writing and drawing children's stories. All of this has a common link and they are adventure sports.
In an interview for Yumping.com I was able to see how the Catalan woman transmits security and humility, characteristics that not everyone can enjoy. I hope Tina accompanies her on many trips and enjoys it as much as she is doing now.
Yumping.- You have become a climber, even though you started doing speleo. How did you change one sport for another?
Araceli Segarra.- I changed a long time ago, the truth is that I started caving by chance because it was one of the courses offered by the club I was in and it was a way to go mountaineering. Through caving I came into contact with other mountain disciplines and since deep down I am quite curious and I like to try everything, I began to try other modalities such as mountain skiing, rock climbing and finally some of them involved traveling to impressive places. I opted for an outdoor sport (laughs).
And.- And without going any further, at 21 you were already on an expedition in the Himalayas...
A.S.- I wouldn't say too young either, there are children today who at a much younger age take trips to other countries and practice climbing. I also started traveling not too young because I had to work and save my money to travel. At no time in my house were they able to subsidize my trips and I have paid for all of them. I know people who, at the age of 14, went to the Andes or Africa at the age of 16... I had to wait until I was 21 (laughs).
Y.- But you have climbed very high peaks since you started climbing, instead of going little by little you have always gone big, right?
A.S.- What is true is that I never set simple challenges for myself when I was young, maybe that's where it lies the difference. For example, when I went to Africa I did not go to climb Kilimanjaro, but rather I climbed a difficult route to Mount Kenya.
Y.- At 22 years old you climbed the eight thousand that Edurne Pasaban recently abandoned, the Shisha Pangma. How do you remember that moment?
A.S.- It was quite an experience, because I also went on a difficult route, there were three of us, there were no ropes, nor other expeditions... There was no one else on the entire mountain. I imagine that you also have to put in the effort and we were very stubborn that we wanted to open that route.
And.- What happens on occasions when you have to abandon?
A.S.- I have abandoned many times, the last time I was in Kachinhunga I lost all the material, I was left without a tent, without bags... and I also paid for everything out of my pocket. The weather was very bad, I always carry a diary with me and write down the weather; During the two months of the expedition there were 3 or 4 sunny days. It cost me a lot of money and on top of that we lost the material. Sometimes we have to risk more than necessary, although I have always been very careful and I prefer to leave the mountain on time than break a nail (laughs).
Y.- From then on, you have been adding successes, since you became the first woman to climb Everest and received some awards. Did you ever imagine you would go this far?
A.S.- No, because I do things by instinct, by passion. I'm not preparing for it in the long term, I never set out to climb Everest. Although on other occasions we have proposed it, such as when we climbed the Hornbein Corridor through a difficult route, without oxygen, without a fixed rope or porters.
What I do depends on the moment, as they say in Mexico "if it beats me". I thought it was a good idea to climb Everest but I was more passionate about the idea of making the documentary than the summit itself (laughs). There are times when one thing leads to another.
And.- In which type of climbing do you feel most comfortable?
A.S.- It depends, because there are times when the mixed music can be very nice. In some seasons I prefer rock but in others I prefer ice more. I vary, I really like to play all the mountain disciplines and be as complete as possible.
And.- Has it been difficult for you to make your way in a world in which the majority of mountaineers are men?
A.S.- I don't move among people who treat me differently because I am a woman. We are colleagues who accept each other for our abilities and conditions as people. I don't assimilate it as a concept in which I have to make my way, I am in a group of people who accept me for who I am, just as I accept them. Sex is not a condition, at least with the group of people I am in. If that were the case I would have to change colleagues (laughs). There are groups for everything, as in all areas, be it a hospital or a circus... you have to know how to find the environment in which to move and who to move with.
Y.- You combined climbing with your university degree in physiotherapy and the postgraduate degree in children's physiotherapy. What was your time as a student-climber like?
A.S.- It was a very hard time because I went to train every morning, returned home and went to university in the afternoons. But I couldn't go out or do the social life that my teammates did because the next day I could have a test during training. I was a little distanced from my university classmates but it was worth it because I did what I wanted to do and needed to do at that moment.
Y.- Furthermore, I see that you are multifaceted: you have worked on television, on radio, you have also published a series of children's stories, you have shot a film with none other than Brad Pitt... Does that Does it prove that Araceli is a restless woman?
A.S.- Yes, but basically everything I do is related to the same topic: nature, sports, health, mountains... I don't do anything that falls outside that parameter, for example I don't do a cooking television program or an astrology story, but I do a nature or sports program and mountain stories... everything is related.
And.- But it has allowed you to move in many areas that without that link you might not have been able to enter.
A.S.- Yes, but I think that you look for things, when your passion is one you manage to discover a lot of variations around that passion. Discovering, working and learning is what I do with the mountain, I see all the ramifications, all the opportunities, all the options it offers me and I investigate them. There are always new things to do...
Y.- You also have a career as a model, starring in advertising campaigns in Elle, Vogue and a long list of media outlets... What led you to among people who treat me differently because I am a woman. We are colleagues who accept each other for our abilities and conditions as people. I don't assimilate it as a concept in which I have to make my way, I am in a group of people who accept me for who I am, just as I accept them. Sex is not a condition, at least with the group of people I am in. If that were the case I would have to change colleagues (laughs). There are groups for everything, as in all areas, be it a hospital or a circus... you have to know how to find the environment in which to move and who to move with.
Y.- You combined climbing with your university degree in physiotherapy and the postgraduate degree in children's physiotherapy. What was your time as a student-climber like?
A.S.- It was a very hard time because I went to train every morning, returned home and went to university in the afternoons. But I couldn't go out or do the social life that my teammates did because the next day I could have a test during training. I was a little distanced from my university classmates but it was worth it because I did what I wanted to do and needed to do at that moment.
Y.- Furthermore, I see that you are multifaceted: you have worked on television, on radio, you have also published a series of children's stories, you have shot a film with none other than Brad Pitt... Does that Does it prove that Araceli is a restless woman?
A.S.- Yes, but basically everything I do is related to the same topic: nature, sports, health, mountains... I don't do anything that falls outside that parameter, for example I don't do a cooking television program or an astrology story, but I do a nature or sports program and mountain stories... everything is related.
And.- But it has allowed you to move in many areas that without that link you might not have been able to enter.
A.S.- Yes, but I think that you look for things, when your passion is one you manage to discover a lot of variations around that passion. Discovering, working and learning is what I do with the mountain, I see all the ramifications, all the opportunities, all the options it offers me and I investigate them. There are always new things to do...
Y.- You also have a career as a model, starring in advertising campaigns in Elle, Vogue and a long list of media outlets... What led you to
