Your stories

:: June 2008

Adele walks into BBC Radio Sheffield in nervous, she’s not used to these surroundings of walls and a microphone. She’s more familiar with open skies and hill wherever she may be in the world.

“I climbed my first mountain (Snowden) when I was six years old. Me and my father got lost in the mist, we walked about 10 miles off course. I think it was fun but I was also scared at the same time. I had ridiculous unsuitable clothes on and my dad didn’t have a clue what he was doing.

“I first started dreaming about mountains when I was three years old. I remember when my mum went out to the shops and bought me some red wellies because it was snowing. As soon as I put them on I built a snow mound and declared that I was on top of Everest.

“I was just obsessed by hills and mountains and I still am.”

Adele has studied far and wide, including University of London where she got a degree in Biochemistry and then went on to York University to do a PhD in Biochemistry. Not content with that, she studied a PGCE in Outdoor Education and Chemistry at Bangor University.

She’s worked across the world, from South America and Scarborough

“I joined the ‘Scarborough and District Search and Rescue Team’ for about six or seven years. I used to be a Training Officer searching for people on the North Yorkshire Moors.

“One of my first jobs was searching for people following the Lockerbie air disaster, we had to go to Bellingham and search through wreckage. It wasn’t pleasant.”

Over the edge

"In 1998, I made a technical error and fell off the end of a rope. I fell between a gap between the snow and the ice on a rock (known as a berschrund) which was bad news because once you’re stuck down there, it’s pretty hard to get out.

"I broke my back and pelvis so I couldn’t move. My friend jumped down to help me but then he got stuck, 17 hours later my friend managed to climb out and get some help.

"I thought I was dying a few times…

"The doctor said I would walk with a limp, with a little help from my friends within a year I was back to normal. I thought about giving up climbing but I couldn’t, it’s a apart of my life that I had to continue."

On top of the world

"I’d been working with Jagged Globe and one day when I was hoovering the floor at work, the MD came up to me and told me I was going to Everest along with my working partner.

“We started our bid for the top of Everest on 18th May. It takes a lot of acclimatisation, visiting camp one and working your way up to camp three. Once you are there it’s the case of putting on your oxygen masks.

“We had to wait until 9pm for our main summit bid. You need to climb when the snow is cold and make sure it isn’t softened by the sun. Leaving later also gives you plenty of time to reach the summit in the same day. You also have to calculate the amount of oxygen.

Camp three

“On 23rd May 2008 at 7.15 I announced I was on top of the world.”

Rony asked the question that most people would want to know – what’s there and how did you feel?

“A few flags, a few prayer flags and some rocks.

“I don’t really know how I felt, it was surreal. I looked around at the mountains realising there is nowhere higher in the world. I was always conscious of the time and how much oxygen we had because you want to make sure you get down safely. It’s only when I got back home after a couple of weeks, I realised what an achievement it was.

“I was surprised to find out that I was the 20th British woman to reach the summit.

Adele on top of Mount Everest

“I just love the sense of achievement, when I’m occupied by climbing it means I’m not bored. I love to be active.”

And one last thing, what does Adele do apart from climbing?

“Sorry no other hobbies except climbing and drinking (the ale) Timothy Taylor!”