His career is enviable, as he has climbed great mountains such as Shisha Pagma, K-2, Manaslu or Everest. Now he is on his way to completing Dhaulagiri and has been kind enough, in the middle of the expedition, to answer some questions for us. I hope you find it interesting...
Yumping.- First of all, thank you for taking a moment to answer our questions in the middle of Dhaulagiri. Carlos, you have been in the mountains all your life, because when you were only 14 years old you were bitten by the mountaineering bug. How do you remember the first time you climbed the Sierra de Guadarrama?
Thank you very much for being interested in me and the expedition. When I went to the Sierra de Guadarrama for the first time I discovered that being outdoors, in nature, was what I liked. It was a phenomenal experience, since I went with my friend Antonio Riaño, with some truck fabric to make a tent, and little else. But it helped me realize that that was what I liked to do.
Y.- From there you decided that you wanted to dedicate yourself to this hard but rewarding profession. What did your family and friends think when you told them "I'm going to Russia, to be part of the first Spanish expedition that will climb Mount Elbrus"?
In reality, mountaineering is not my profession, nor has it ever been. I have worked all my life, since I was 11 years old, first for a few years as a bookbinder and then as an upholsterer, until I retired. But I have always said that if you like what you do, you make time for everything. My family and friends have always supported me in my dedication to mountaineering, and for many years they have accompanied me, including my wife and my daughters.
Y.- Your entire professional career has been linked to the world of mountaineering and you have completed several summits: Shisha Pagma, K-2, Manaslu... and in many of them you have done it alone, with the only company of your Sherpas. What was the experience like during those years?
Well, I haven't always been alone. At first I was part of the first Spanish expeditions to the great mountains. Then, when I started climbing eight thousand, already at a certain age, it is true that I was less accompanied. But nothing happens. There have always been people in the mountains with whom one shares an expedition permit, or a cook... In reality, although when push comes to shove you have to climb with your own means, you know many people in the mountains, and they become friends. good friends.
Y.- Since last year you have had the support of BBVA as the main sponsor of the "I climb with Carlos Soria" challenge, since you are now the only mountaineer who has climbed 11 "eight thousand" at the age of over 60 and you are looking to complete 14. What has their sponsorship brought you and what difference do you notice now compared to previous expeditions?
The big difference is that now I have my own expedition, and that I have resources that I didn't have before. For example, I can come to the mountain with more mountaineers who come with me, with a doctor... There is an important difference because I also notice that now many more people follow me, and what we do has more impact, but that is good so that people get to know a sport as beautiful as this better.
Y.- Finally you were not able to summit Dhaulagiri due to the weather, as you have communicated on your website. Perhaps thanks to BBVA you have become more media and now reach thousands of followers, who show you their support almost daily. We assume that apart from your family and friends, they are an important pillar for you right now, right?
Family and friends are always important. It is clear that if my family had not supported me so much for so many years, I would not have been able to dedicate as much time to the mountains as I have throughout my life. As for the followers, the support they send us every day through their messages is spectacular.
Y.- You are already more than halfway done but it is the fifth time you have tried it and you only had about 500 meters left to reach the top. How is your mood and physical condition at the moment?
Physically we are very well, we are already recovering from the effort involved in the summit attempt, which was honestly very hard. We were quite close to the summit, but finally the wind and bad weather prevented us from climbing beyond camp 3, at about 7,600 meters high. But that's okay, I hope that in a few days we can have a chance. We have the same desire as when we arrived at the field base in early September.
Y.- Throughout your career, what is the mountain that you remember most fondly?
Without a doubt, it is Mount Manaslu. I tried it for the first time in 1973, on the first Spanish expedition to the Himalayas. And I managed to reach its peak 37 years later, so it is easy to imagine the love I have for it. Furthermore, at the foot of Manaslu is the village of Sama, a small town where I am developing a solidarity project with BBVA to help the 100 children who go to school there, and who are in very difficult conditions.
Y.- And what was the worst moment? The one where you thought "I can't take it anymore" and decided to return home?
It happened on the Dhaulagiri, on the mountain we are on now. Several years ago, after an attempt in which we did not reach the summit, my friend Pepe Garcés died going down to camp 3, during the journey before reaching the summit. Without a doubt it is the worst memory I have.
And.- What leads a mountaineer to embark on an adventure like this? Many calamities happen up there, what does each expedition lead you to do?
There are difficulties, there are moments that are very hard... but the mountains are the place where I like to be, and it doesn't just mean hardness. It seems that those of us who do this want to look like supermen, but that is not the case. The mountain is life, it is beauty, its landscapes, its people, walking, training... Most of the time it is an impressive place.
Y.- You will be becoming the example of thousands of people around the world. What would you say to those who would like to follow in your footsteps?
Just let them do what they like. And that everything they do, be because they like it, to the extent possible. And that retirement age is great, and we must try to reach it in the best physical, mental and economic conditions possible.
Y.- At 73 years old we see that, as it is often said colloquially, "you are a kid." What recommendations would you give to those who, after retiring, do not practice sports because they believe they are no longer old?
Age is absolutely no impediment to anything. Or for almost nothing. Health is. But not the age. So I recommend doing something every day, even if it's giving yourself base in early September.
Y.- Throughout your career, what is the mountain that you remember most fondly?
Without a doubt, it is Mount Manaslu. I tried it for the first time in 1973, on the first Spanish expedition to the Himalayas. And I managed to reach its peak 37 years later, so it is easy to imagine the love I have for it. Furthermore, at the foot of Manaslu is the village of Sama, a small town where I am developing a solidarity project with BBVA to help the 100 children who go to school there, and who are in very difficult conditions.
Y.- And what was the worst moment? The one where you thought "I can't take it anymore" and decided to return home?
It happened on the Dhaulagiri, on the mountain we are on now. Several years ago, after an attempt in which we did not reach the summit, my friend Pepe Garcés died going down to camp 3, during the journey before reaching the summit. Without a doubt it is the worst memory I have.
And.- What leads a mountaineer to embark on an adventure like this? Many calamities happen up there, what does each expedition lead you to do?
There are difficulties, there are moments that are very hard... but the mountains are the place where I like to be, and it doesn't just mean hardness. It seems that those of us who do this want to look like supermen, but that is not the case. The mountain is life, it is beauty, its landscapes, its people, walking, training... Most of the time it is an impressive place.
Y.- You will be becoming the example of thousands of people around the world. What would you say to those who would like to follow in your footsteps?
Just let them do what they like. And that everything they do, be because they like it, to the extent possible. And that retirement age is great, and we must try to reach it in the best physical, mental and economic conditions possible.
Y.- At 73 years old we see that, as it is often said colloquially, "you are a kid." What recommendations would you give to those who, after retiring, do not practice sports because they believe they are no longer old?
Age is absolutely no impediment to anything. Or for almost nothing. Health is. But not the age. So I recommend doing something every day, even if it's giving yourself
