Durban Businesswoman and Mother to Conquer the Second of her Seven Summits

Shareez Bagaria, a 46-year-old life coach and mother of two from Hillcrest in Durban, is getting ready to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will take her to Russia to conquer Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe. This climb is the second stage in an ambitious quest Bagaria has set herself – to conquer the Seven Summits, the highest peaks across all seven continents.

“My journey into mountaineering began with a simple love for hiking in the Drakensberg Mountains,” she explains.

This quickly evolved into a personal challenge which led her to climbing Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (5895m) in 2022. “Kilimanjaro was a great challenge but it made me hungry for more so in 2023, I took on Mount Kenya. After this climb, I was hooked and I set myself the ultimate mountineering challenge to tackle the Seven Summits,” she says.

The Mount Elbrus Challenge

To start the journey to bag her second Summit, Bagaria flies to Minerale Vody Airport in Russia on 8 August. At 5642m, Mount Elbrus stands as a formidable mountain with unique challenges, including severe cold, the possibility of snowstorms and the physical demands of high-altitude trekking.

“Each summit experience gives you a new set of skills and Mount Elbrus will definitely test my abilities,” she says. “The summit day involves a similar gain in height to Kilimanjaro but negotiating potentially soft snow and hard ice with heavy boots and crampons and in the cold, saps more energy.”

Despite the challenges, Bagaria will tackle the 8-day Mount Elbrus trek as a solo climber, supported only by her Russian guide. “I was alone for my previous two climbs, so I am doing this one by myself too,” she explains. “Fortunately, I love the solitude as it allows me to focus on the mountain. My goal is to take each day as it comes, one step and one camp at a time, one foot in front of the other.”

Bagaria knows that the lessons learned from her previous ascents will be invaluable on this journey. “Physically, I have been doing lots of training and I know that I will be able to keep on going irrespective of how I feel,” she reflects. “The mental preparation however is just as important as this will help me to dig deep and push through the cold and any other discomfort that comes with the climb.”

Aligning Personal and Professional Goals

For Bagaria, climbing Mount Elbrus and taking on the Seven Summits is not just about reaching the top; she hopes to inspire others to explore new possibilities.

“Working as a life coach, I have witnessed first hand the fact that too many people let physical comfort zones hold them back,” she shares. “So I have decided that I don’t just want to be a theoretical coach. I want to physically show people that they can set difficult goals and achieve them – and the Seven Summits is about as big as it gets!”

Bagaria’s determination to “walk the talk” is also driven by her desire to be a role model for her two children. Through her climbs, she hopes to demonstrate the power of perseverance and the importance of setting ambitious goals.

Bagaria’s journey to climb the Seven Summits is a call to everyone to identify and conquer their own mountains, whether literal or metaphorical. Her story is an inspiration to dream big, set ambitious goals and embrace the challenges ahead with courage and determination.

ABOUT SHAREEZ BAGARIA:

Shareez Bagaria is a multi-faceted professional who exemplifies the spirit of adventure and the power of personal growth. Her 20 years experience as a HR professional has honed her skills in leadership, employee development and organisational strategy, knowledge and expertise that Shareez now applies as a COMENSA Certified Life Coach. She specialises in working with professional women to achieve their personal and professional goals and also helps women transitioning through life changes. In addition, she also focusses on helping teenagers. In her personal capacity, Shareez is a published children’s author and has recently achieved Penguin Kids SA Author status. Her personal goal is to summit all seven of the world’s highest mountains within the next decade. Shareez was born in Chatsworth and now lives in Hillcrest and has two children.