Ukrainian climber successfully ascended the eight-thousander Manaslu for the first time

The first Ukrainian female climber to ascend Mount Everest twice, Antonina Samoilova, has successfully completed an ascent of Mount Manaslu (8163 meters). She is the first Ukrainian woman to reach the summit of this eight-thousander in the Himalayas. Prior to her, 20 Ukrainian men had reached the summit of Manaslu.

The ascent took place at 7:00 AM on September 28, 2023. The summit day lasted for 37 hours. Antonina initially planned to complete the climb without supplemental oxygen but ended up using oxygen due to health issues caused by sinusitis and fever.

Antonina states that she aims to show the world that Ukraine deserves a worthy place on the global high-altitude climbing stage.

"I want to show the world what a strong nation we are. The strength of spirit is in the blood of Ukrainians, so our nation's path is only forward, emphasizing pain, suffering... others may fall apart and give up. But we move forward. We are incredibly strong in spirit and unbeatable. It's in our blood," she says.

Mount Manaslu marks the third eight-thousander that Antonina has conquered, with a total of four eight-thousander ascents under her belt. Prior to Mount Manaslu, she had successfully ascended Mount Everest twice and K2 once. This accomplishment makes her the first Ukrainian woman to achieve four ascents of eight-thousanders.