Marie-Pier Desharnais
A mountaineer to conquer the highest peaks in the world
Risk manager, speaker, but above all mountaineer, Marie-Pier Desharnais has climbed the highest mountains on the planet. At 37, this exceptional athlete is on her way to becoming the first woman to climb all seven mountain peaks and seven volcanic peaks. She is the instigator of Apex Woman, a project which aims to increase the female footprint on the highest, most difficult or inaccessible mountains in the world. We spoke with her on the occasion of the publication of her first book We are mountains.
YOUR BOOK BEGINS WITH THE STORY OF THE TSUNAMI THAT NEARLY TOOK YOUR LIFE IN 2004 IN THAILAND. YOU WERE ONLY 19 YEARS OLD. HOW DID THIS EVENT CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
He turned my value system upside down. I had to ask myself what was important to me in life, and who I really was. For two years, I was completely lost. Until I discovered the disaster management program at university. I had found my mission. I understood that the tsunami had been a gift and not a punishment for me. My current approach is always linked to resilience and the need to have an impact on people. But we never really get rid of the survivor's syndrome, the guilt of having survived when 300 people died. We learn to live with it.
YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MOUNTAINS IN 2016 DURING A TREK IN NEPAL. WHAT DID YOU LIKE SO MUCH ABOUT THIS EXPEDITION?
I had the feeling of reconnecting with something true. I lived in a superficial world in Qatar where I worked as a risk manager. Money, beautiful cars and handbags were emphasized. The mountain acted like a mirror. I had no choice but to face myself. Also, the relationships I made during this adventure were authentic. The mountain brought me back to basics.
THE MOUNTAIN IS FULL OF UNEXPECTED AND DANGERS. YOU HAVE ALSO ESCAPED SOME AVALANCHES. AS A TSUNAMI SURVIVOR, IS IT NOT CONTRADICTORY TO WANT TO BRAVE THE MOUNTAINS?
Yes, it's ironic! I have equipped myself to better deal with dangers in the mountains, particularly avalanches, but there is always a part that is not up to us. You have to know how to listen to yourself and stop. Recognize your limits.
YOU CREATED THE APEX WOMAN PROJECT. WHAT IS IT ABOUT? WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE?
I evolved in a very masculine world, whether in my professional life or in my life as a mountaineer. There were a lot of comments made to me because I was a woman. However, I found that women were strong, resilient and sometimes better than men, especially in endurance sports. By creating the Apex project, I wanted to send the message that it is not because we are a woman that we are less good.
YOU ARE THE FIRST QUEBECER AND ONE OF THE ONLY WOMEN IN THE WORLD AMONG 18 TO HAVE CLIMBED K2, A MOUNTAIN RENOWNED TO BE DANGEROUS AND TECHNICALLY DIFFICULT. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER FROM THIS EXPLOIT?
K2 is the mountain of my life. She taught me so many lessons. Climbing it was a spiritual and transformative experience. I felt tiny in front of so much beauty. Every minute that I was still alive was a gift. I lived an intense experience, a duality between the satisfaction of being where I was supposed to be and the recognition of being able to stay alive at every moment.
WHY DID YOU CALL YOUR BOOK WE ARE MOUNTAINS?
Everyone has mountains in life, challenges, obstacles to overcome. Often, we feel like we won't make it because we're stuck in a tailspin. I wanted to give another perspective, to say that sometimes you have to explore other avenues to achieve your goals. There is no unreachable mountain when you are surrounded by the right people.
