Nelly Attar: How a Lebanese Woman Redefined Impossible
At 5:40 AM on May 24th, 2025, fierce winds whipped around Nelly Attar as she stood 8,586 meters above sea level on Kanchenjunga’s summit.
The 35-year-old Lebanese mountaineer had just achieved something extraordinary becoming the first Lebanese person ever to climb the world’s third-highest mountain, completing a remarkable double summit in just three weeks.
An Unconventional Beginning
Born in Riyadh in 1990 to Lebanese parents, Attar’s journey to mountaineering greatness began far from the world’s highest peaks. She started as a psychologist before making a bold career change in 2017 to pursue fitness and athletics full-time, founding Saudi Arabia’s first dance studio called ‘Move.’
The spark came when she was 17, during a life-changing trip to Mount Kenya with her father. Though they didn’t reach the summit due to her father’s hypothermia, the experience transformed young Nelly forever. “It was the first time I spent a couple of days on a mountain and that left me changed,” Attar recalls. “I felt so enriched, so alive. And I just knew it. I want to do more of this in the future.”
Breaking Barriers
Attar’s breakthrough moment came on July 22, 2022, when she summited K2, the world’s second-highest mountain. When she raised Lebanon’s flag on that brutal peak, she became the first Arab woman to conquer the “Savage Mountain.” Overwhelmed with emotion, she cried for 20 minutes—a mixture of tears and laughter as she thought of her late father.
By 2025, Attar had already proven herself on Mount Everest (2019) and Mount Lhotse (2024), but her plans for 2025 were ambitious even by her standards.
The Double Achievement
Climbing Makalu
On May 10th, 2025, at 2:00 AM local time, Attar reached the summit of Mount Makalu alongside Sherpa guide Dawa Sherpa. At 8,485 meters, this made her the first Lebanese and Arab woman to successfully climb the world’s fifth-highest mountain.
“What keeps me grounded is that I love the sport, and my mindset is take it day by day, as if it’s your first and your last day,” Attar explains. “So make the best use of every single day as it comes, because we don’t know. There’s no guarantee that we’re going to be able to summit these mountains.”
The Spontaneous Decision
After Makalu, Attar took a strategic week of rest. But instead of heading home, she made a bold decision that would define her 2025 season.
“After I did Makalu, that’s when I decided to do Kanchenjunga. That was not part of the plan, but I came down from Makalu, I felt really good. Apparently, there was still a window for Kanchenjunga, and it’s just safer to have a bigger group. And on Kanchenjunga this year, they had the biggest number of people. So that’s why I made the decision to go.”
The Ultimate Test
Kanchenjunga proved to be one of Attar’s most challenging experiences. Her plan was audacious—complete the entire expedition in just 8 days, capitalizing on her maintained acclimatization from Makalu.
The final summit push was brutal a 17-kilometer approach followed by a grueling 1,200-meter ascent through the death zone. Fresh snow made climbing treacherous, while wind gusts reached 50 kilometers per hour. “During the last few hours leading up to the summit, my extremities were painfully numb from the cold, as we were breaking trail trail I could barely see due to the wind,” Attar later reflected.
Weather uncertainty plagued the expedition. “My mindset was just take it day by day. Don’t think past today. Trust the process and try to do progress where we can, where it’s safe. Don’t fixate on the outcome when there’s a difficult situation.”
The Historic Moment
Despite harsh conditions, Attar and guide Dawa Chhiring Sherpa reached Kanchenjunga’s summit on May 24th, 2025. With this achievement, she became the first Lebanese person to climb the five highest peaks in the world: Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu.
The Human Connection
For Attar, the relationships formed during expeditions are as meaningful as the summits themselves. “What stays with me is usually when there’s a difficult situation or that I’m feeling down and I’m comforted by fellow climbers. Usually when I’m feeling vulnerable, those are the moments that stay with me, when I connect with others. And then also, obviously all the spontaneous dances and the fun moments that we have.”
She holds special gratitude for the Sherpas who make such expeditions possible
“The connection I build, or the experiences I share with my Sherpas I will never forget, because there’s a reason why we’re able to do these climbs, and our life is in their hands, and you just build an instant bond with these people.”
Her recent journey encompassed three distinct groups—at Everest Base Camp, on Makalu, and on Kanchenjunga. “What a pleasure and honor it is to have shared those moments and experiences with those people. Each one of them was so unique… people shaped it for me, the conversations I had, the experiences I had with those people.”
Philosophy and Future
Attar’s extreme challenges serve a deeper purpose. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you,” she explains. “It’s moments when you’re about to break, that you learn how to elevate. This is why we climb.”
Rather than feeling completed by her achievements, Attar remains energized for more: “Honestly, I feel like I’ve just started to scratch the surface. I don’t know if it’s a chapter that I’ve completed. I feel so energized, so inspired, so excited to do more. I just feel like I’m at the very beginning.”
Beyond Personal Achievement
Attar’s impact extends far beyond mountaineering. She holds a Guinness World Record for four-finger pull-ups and has become a symbol of possibility for women in the Arab world.
Her journey from psychologist to record-breaking mountaineer demonstrates the power of following one’s passion regardless of conventional expectations.
From that first life-changing experience on Mount Kenya at age 17 to standing atop Kanchenjunga at 35, Nelly Attar continues to prove that with determination, proper preparation, and courage, seemingly impossible goals can be achieved. Her double summit in 2025 stands as testament not just to her physical capabilities, but to her mental strength and commitment to pushing boundaries.
The mountains may have tested her to her limits, but they have helped her become a symbol of possibility, determination, and the power of dreams realized through dedication and courage.
