After losing Pat, her husband of 26 years, in 2018, Eva Steinwald faced a question she had never considered: Who was she without him?
"Losing Pat after 26 years of marriage made me realize how short life is", Steinwald, 64, said.
Her journey to find meaning after the tragedy led her to the mountains and towards a goal once thought impossible: conquering the "Seven Summits" (the 7 highest peaks on each continent) before turning 70 and raising awareness about climate change.
Steinwald, a German living in Idaho, United States, first put on her climbing boots at age 60 despite a strong fear of heights. To start, Eva chose to conquer Borah, Idaho's highest mountain, along with its famously treacherous Chicken Out Ridge. Overcoming her fear and successfully reaching the summit, instead of taking a celebratory photo, she burst into tears. It wasn't out of fear; she realized she could achieve more than she had ever imagined.
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Steinwald pictured after successfully conquering |
After the stepping stone of Borah Peak and Everest Base Camp, Steinwald continued to challenge herself on larger mountain ranges to rediscover her life's direction. In 6/2023, her first attempt to conquer Denali was unsuccessful due to bad weather. Undeterred by the setback, she successfully summited the 6,100 m peak one year later.
In 1/2024, she also summited Aconcagua (Argentina) despite a fall. This experience shaped her life motto: "Can't. Must. Did.", where "Can't" represents a mental barrier, "Must" signifies commitment, and "Did" is the outcome of that decision.
Her biggest challenge came in 5/2025 when she attempted Mount Everest at an elevation of 8,848 m. Steinwald spent one year preparing with an altitude coach and a physical trainer. Despite this, she said she could not fully prepare for the mental pressure on the climb.
"You spend hours alone in a tent. Even when climbing with a group, loneliness still engulfs your mind", she said.
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Mount Everest. Photo: *People* |
Standing atop the world's highest peak on 18/5/2025, she felt truly free. At age 63, Steinwald became the oldest American woman to conquer Everest at that time, breaking an 18-year-old record. However, her record lasted only 5 days because Susan Agar, 66, from Texas, also successfully summited Everest.
Steinwald was not disappointed; she honored Susan and proudly declared her 5-day record. The essence of Steinwald's journey was not about collecting mountaineering titles. She represents humility and a fearless spirit.
After Everest, she continued to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 1/1 and Mont Blanc in the Alps in 6/1. Upcoming, Steinwald plans to attempt Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia in 10/2027 and Vinson in Antarctica in 12/2027. If successful, Steinwald will achieve her goal of conquering the 7 peaks at age 65, 5 years ahead of her original schedule.
"As we get older, we think the time for adventures or new beginnings has passed. In reality, it's never too late to start, but you must dare to take the first steps", she said. From a journey of finding purpose after losing her husband, Steinwald's story has become an inspiration for many to pursue their dreams of conquest.
"We don't know how much time we have left, but we can choose what to do with the life we are given", she said.
By Hoai Anh (Source: *People*, *Climbing the Seven Summits*)
