Stefi Troguet: The Andorran Mountaineer Fighting Gravity, Frostbite, and Gender Stereotypes
In the unforgiving world of high-altitude mountaineering, where death lurks behind every crevasse and oxygen grows thin with each step, one climber stands out not just for her achievements, but for her defiant bold assertion of femininity.
Stefi Troguet, the 33-year-old Andorran mountaineer, has made it her mission to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters without supplemental oxygen all while wearing her signature red lipstick.
A Natural Beginning
Born on May 25, 1992, in the small mountain nation of Andorra, Stefi’s path to the world’s highest peaks began naturally. Growing up surrounded by snow-capped mountains and spectacular alpine landscapes, she was destined for a life in the mountains. Her early years were spent as an alpine ski racer and national telemark champion, working as a ski instructor and mid-mountain guide.
“I became a ski instructor at 18, and one day when we were looking at the mountains with colleagues, we said to ourselves: why don’t we go there?” Stefi recalls. “So, after work, we took touring skis and went there.”
It was this simple curiosity that sparked what would become an extraordinary mountaineering career. The progression was gradual but relentless each peak slightly higher than the last, each challenge pushing her limits a little further.
The First Taste of Heights
Stefi’s first real mountain challenge came when her cousin invited her to climb Pica d’Estats, a 3,000-meter peak in the Pyrenees. For someone who had never ventured beyond ski slopes, it was a revelation.
“It was a great challenge for me,” she remembers. “The feeling of having a goal and successfully achieving it delighted me. It was a different day. It awakened something in me, and I wanted more.”
That “something” was the intoxicating mixture of fear, determination, and pure joy that comes from pushing oneself beyond perceived limits.
The experience opened a door she couldn’t close. After climbing her first 3,000-meter peak, she set her sights on 4,000-meter mountains in the Alps Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn, and Mont Blanc.
The pattern was established work multiple jobs during the winter seasons, save every penny, then spend summers climbing progressively higher peaks. From the Alps, she moved to 5,000-meter peaks like Kilimanjaro and Elbrus, then to 6,000-meter giants like Aconcagua and Denali.
The Himalayan Awakening
The turning point came in 2018 on Ama Dablam, a stunning 6,856-meter peak in Nepal. It was here that Stefi first laid eyes on the legendary 8,000-meter peaks of the Himalayas. More importantly, it was here she met Nirmal “Nims” Purja, who would later become famous for his record-breaking ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders in six months.
At the time, Purja was still relatively unknown and facing skepticism about his ambitious project. “People made fun of him, but I had the impression that he was going to do it,” Stefi recalls. “He wasn’t very physically fit, but he had a very structured, very military approach, and he had contacts with the best Sherpas.”
Purja recognized something special in the young Andorran. “He told me that I was the only one who believed in him, and so he offered me to choose one of the 8,000ers to accompany him.”
Breaking Into the Death Zone
In 2019, Stefi made her debut in the exclusive club of eight-thousander climbers. She chose Nanga Parbat, Pakistan’s “Killer Mountain,” for her first attempt not because it was easy, but because it scared her the most.
“I didn’t want to start with one of the highest 8,000ers, but I knew Nirmal’s team would be very strong, so I chose the one that scared me the most,” she explains. “I didn’t set off thinking I’d make it to the summit, and I even told my family as I left that if I reached Camp 2 or Camp 3, the contract would be fulfilled.”
But Stefi did more than just reach base camp. On July 3, 2019, she stood atop Nanga Parbat’s 8,126-meter summit without supplemental oxygen. The achievement was remarkable not just for its physical demands, but for the mental fortitude required to climb in the death zone where the human body begins to shut down.
Just three months later, she proved it wasn’t a fluke by summiting Manaslu (8,163m), again without oxygen. Two eight-thousanders in one year, both without artificial aid Stefi had announced herself as a serious contender in the world’s most dangerous sport.
The K2
If Nanga Parbat and Manaslu established Stefi’s credentials, her 2022 ascent of K2 cemented her reputation as one of the world’s elite high-altitude climbers. K2, the world’s second-highest peak at 8,611 meters, is widely considered the most technically challenging and dangerous of all the eight-thousanders.
The climb was a nightmare of traffic jams, extreme cold, and hallucinations. “There was a point, just before the Bottleneck, where a queue of about 140 people formed,” Stefi recalls. “Only three of us were without oxygen, and that’s a whole other ballgame. My feet and hands were frozen.”
Above 8,300 meters, the lack of oxygen began affecting her mind. “I’d be walking, fall, and wake up on the ground. I fell asleep. I’d take two more steps and fall asleep again. I couldn’t keep my eyes open.”
In moments of desperation, she sought approval from other climbers to rest, knowing that sitting down and falling asleep at that altitude often means death. “I asked this question to about 10 people, hoping someone would say yes. It was lucky that everyone looked at me with a sour look.”
On July 22, 2022, Stefi reached K2’s summit, dedicating the climb to her friends and fellow mountaineers who had died on the mountain. The achievement was particularly poignant she was one of only four climbers that day to summit without oxygen, out of 142 who reached the top.
The Philosophy of Fear and Femininity
What sets Stefi apart isn’t just her climbing ability, but her approach to the sport and her unapologetic embrace of femininity. In a world traditionally dominated by gruff, bearded men, she arrives at base camps in brightly colored clothes, perfectly applied red lipstick, and a smile that never seems to fade.
The red lipstick started as a nervous habita way to stop herself from biting her lips when anxious. But it evolved into something more powerful: a symbol of refusing to conform to others’ expectations.
“I heard people say, ‘Where’s that girl going? She won’t even make it past base camp,'” she recalls. “That gave me more strength. Why do we have to be categorized, not just for being women but also for being well-dressed or wearing lipstick? It gave me a lot of strength to say, ‘Yes, I’m a girl, I’m dressed like one, and I’m going to fight it like anyone else.'”
The Reality of Risk
Despite her cheerful exterior, Stefi is deeply aware of the risks she faces. Many of the climbers she started with are no longer alive, including her mentor Ali Sadpara, who died on K2 in 2021, and Sergi Mingote, who also perished on the mountain.
“There’s a part of you that tells you you might not return,” she says honestly. “Many of the companions I started with are no longer here. And that’s scary.”
The fear isn’t just for herself it extends to her family. “Right now, at home, I think my fear comes more from those around me. I feel theirs. I’m not afraid for myself, but I am for my family. It’s selfish to leave now.”
This awareness has changed how she approaches farewells. “I decided a while ago not to say goodbye. When I went to Nanga Parbat, I met my whole family for dinner. I saw the terror in their eyes when I said goodbye. They said goodbye to me in tears, as if it were forever. I decided not to do this kind of goodbye.”
The Ongoing Quest
With four eight-thousanders under her belt (Nanga Parbat, Manaslu, K2, and Broad Peak), Stefi has ten more peaks to climb in her quest to join the exclusive club of climbers who have summited all 14 without supplemental oxygen. Only a handful of people have achieved this feat, and even fewer women.
“Ultimately, 14 is my long-term life project,” she says. “But I take it one at a time. I don’t think even the summit of this mountain is my dream per se. Rather, I try to improve myself every day, enjoying myself while getting to know my body and mind better. It’s an exploration of myself through these mountains.”
Her approach is methodical and patient. Unlike some climbers who rush to complete multiple peaks in a single season, Stefi prefers one or two expeditions per year, allowing time to develop her technical skills in the Alps between major climbs.
“I try to be very transparent about what I do,” she says. “I show everything I climb with Sherpas, on fixed ropes, and as part of big expeditions. When people ask me my level, I dare say that I climb in grade 6, and grade 4 or 5 on ice. I don’t hide it.”
A New Kind of Role Model
Through her social media presence and open approach, Stefi has become a role model for a new generation of climbers, particularly women. She shows that you don’t need to be a “superhero” to climb the world’s highest peaks you just need technical skills, excellent physical condition, and the courage to dream big.
Her message is simple but powerful be yourself, embrace your femininity if that’s who you are, and never let anyone else’s expectations define your limits. In a sport where conformity has long been the norm, Stefi Troguet is proving that the mountains don’t care what you wear or how you lookthey only care about your heart, your preparation, and your determination to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when the air is thin and the summit seems impossibly far away.
As she continues her journey for all 14 eight-thousanders, Stefi remains grounded in her philosophy: “It’s never too late for anything. That’s the beauty of life. We can do so many things whenever we want. At any age, you can have challenges and meet them.”
With red lipstick and an indomitable spirit, she’s proving that the world’s highest peaks are not just for the traditionally tough and gruff, but for anyone brave enough to dream of touching the sky.
