For her adventure sports occupy an important part in her daily life but now she is focused on the presentation of her latest story "Tina in the Carros de Foc, the secret of the kingdom of Lagos ". Here we leave you with the interview that we were able to do with him.
Yumping.- Araceli, it's been 3 years since we first spoke and both Yumping and you have evolved a lot... How has your life changed since 2009?
Araceli Segarra.- Well, a little bit, now climbing more technical paths, I give more conferences to companies, drawing more Tinas, I already have six stories published, and I still do some work as a model from time to time.
Y.- Your latest adventures have taken place in Oman and Patagonia. Which of the two do you choose?
A.S.- One of heat and one of cold, I stick with both because of the balance, Yin and Yan. In Patagonia I made a first female ascent of a beautiful ice goulote "Exocet" on Cerro Standnardt, and in Oman we opened a new 650m "Diversion Ahead" route. The two activities are to leave you very satisfied.
Y.- It has just been 20 years since your first Shisha Pangma expedition. Not only did you dare to do it, but you also did it on the most difficult side and without enough material to carry it out. Wasn't it really crazy?
A.S.- Without enough material? What's up! We carried the material we needed, little, which is what you carry when you go in "pure alpine style"... otherwise it would be a heavy style. Anything that doesn't fit in a backpack to climb in one go, or what a porter carries with you, is no longer alpine style. Not crazy at all, it was hard and difficult, yes, but the more commitment the greater the satisfaction.
Y.- What memories do you have of that adventure? Have you come back up?
A.S.- I have the best memories of all the expeditions to the Himalayas that I have done. Return to go up? Why? Could it be that there are no new walls to discover? (laughs).
Y.- As a general rule, you have preferred to be the one who finances your expeditions rather than looking for sponsors. It seems like you don't want to be very media... Why do you have this philosophy?
A.S.- I try to explain the truth of the activity I do, whoever wants to look for it will find it, I don't hide it, but I don't do press conferences. The activity I am doing right now personally fulfills me a lot, although it is not out of the ordinary nor does it contribute anything new to Mountaineering; When that happens, I will explain it with great fanfare. I think you have to be honest with yourself, for that same reason, I think there is a lot of sponsored activity that is redundant and not interesting and that some try to sell us as cutting edge.
I think that what most mountaineers do is enjoy a sport on a very personal level, if we need the public to do so, it loses part of its reason for being.
Y.- How do you prepare an expedition? How many people are needed to form it?
A.S.- For my taste and right now, minimum two, maximum four. Prepare yourself with a computer and a credit card, preferably with funds.
Y.- Of all the adventure sports you practice (let's remember that you are not only an expert climber, but you started practicing caving and you also practice mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing...) the mountain is your great ally. What can you tell us about water sports?
A.S.- For me, put the water frozen and in a vertical position, some crampons and some ice axes, and we will talk (laughs).
Y.- You are the perfect example of a woman of the 21st century: you don't stay at home, you fight for what you want, you have made your way in a majority world of men... What advice would you give to girls or women who Have a dream like mountaineering and don't know how to achieve it?
A.S.- Don't let yourselves be labeled, let them try and if what they try they don't like or it doesn't work out for them, keep searching and trying, they will find a way, it will always be found.
Y.- The expeditions have helped you grow not only physically but also to mature as a person. What do you owe the mountains?
A.S.- I owe them to be the tool to balance myself, to be the source of my energy and inspiration, the axis of my life.
Y.- What is the best and worst moment What have you lived up there?
A.S.-The best thing is to return to the base camp, the tent or the shelter, after doing an activity, big or small, with the people who love, accept and respect you. The worst thing is to see the selfishness, envy and bad arts of some expeditions.
Y.- You have just presented your latest story "Tina in the Carros de Foc, the secret of the kingdom of Lagos" from Editorial Alpina. In this adventure Tina will travel through the Pyrenees through the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. What is the plot of this new story?
A.S.-Tina has heard about the secret that this place hides and goes to look for it, along the way she discovers magical characters, legends and mysterious places, and to do so she will have to visit the 9 refuges in 9 days (which are the ones that they make up the current route of the Carros de Foc), until I discover that secret...and up to this point I can read.
Y.- With your stories you want to transmit values such as love for nature, interest in other cultures, friendship... Do you think that in the world we live in today these values have been lost?
A.S.-No, not at all, I know young people who are surprised by how clear their ideas are; But just because they haven't been lost doesn't mean that they don't have to continue teaching, and I do it through the medium I know best, outdoor sports, travel and illustration. br />
And.- How are the children receiving Tina's stories?
A.S.-At the moment it is very good, Tina has a website, www.tina.cat where there is a section even for photos of children with the stories, t-shirts or whatever they have of Tina. We are going little by little, we are not on TV yet... but it will come.
Y.- You continue to combine your role as a mountaineer and writer with others that have nothing to do with it, such as doing work as an occasional model or giving lectures. In which setting do you feel most comfortable (not counting the mountains, of course)?
A.S.-In both cases, I have a lot of fun when I make an announcement, but I feel more satisfied when I give a conference, being able to transmit a message, a concept that you believe in and that can also serve to clarify ideas or help in a project, it is quite rewarding. The ideal is that an advertisement serves to convey a concept, beyond a simple image.
And.- What is your next project?
A.S.- Ice, Ice, baby (laughs).
