Marta Misztal - Climbing the 7 summits and wanting to reach the highest peak of each European country #tolivetotravel - a podcast by Sarah Williams

from 2022-12-15T07:00

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Marta in her own words:
 
“My name is Marta and I come from a small town in Poland called Pila. Growing up I was raised by a single mum; I had a good but humble upbringing, I always loved the outdoors and hanging out with my friends.
 
My childhood in Poland was a happy time in my life, but after my first trip to London as a teenager it all changed. I realised very quickly that living in Poland wasn’t for me anymore; I had big dreams and ambitions that I knew I couldn’t pursue in my hometown. I spent one more year living in Poland, learning English and saving ready to finally enter the ‘big world’… then I moved to London.
 
Taking this chance opened up so many opportunities for me. I got a good degree, good job, I travelled the world and had some awesome adventures whilst doing so, that I’ve decided to share them here. So, here I am, writing my blog, hoping to inspire and invite you on my journey.
 
My love for travelling has grown immensely over the years. The more countries I saw, the more countries I wanted to see. Along the way, my style of travelling changed; I had even bigger accomplishments on my agenda. So I set myself two goals: to climb to the highest peak on each continent, the challenge known as 7 Summits; and to reach the highest peak of each European country, which I call The Crown of Europe.
 
Out of the 7 Summits, I’ve already completed 5 (the highest peak in Europe, Africa, North and South America, Antarctica) and I am getting ready to attempt another one later this year… Everest. I am extremely excited about it as this is also the last continent I still haven’t seen.
 
The second goal is to reach the highest peak of each European country, which I call The Crown of Europe  There are 50 countries but 48 peaks and I have already completed 17 of them. However, this leaves plenty of adventure still ahead…”
 
*This episode was recorded in 20th January 2022 - Marta summited Everest 6.25am on May 15th, 2022.
 
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Show notes
  • Who is Marta
  • Moving to the UK from Poland 17 years ago
  • Her goal to climb the 7 summits 
  • Wanting to climb the highest peak in each European Country 
  • Growing up in Poland and what her early years were like
  • Not being close to the mountains as a child
  • Being inspired by her father who was very outdoorsy
  • Getting use to the cold weather 
  • Her passion for travel
  • Wanting more from travel and wanting to combine it with adventure 
  • Setting herself 2 BIG goals 
  • The Crown of Europe of Challenge
  • Climbing Kilimanjaro first 
  • Climbing Mt. Blanc and then Elbrus.
  • Climbing Aconcagua in South America
  • Climbing Denali in North America which was the toughest climb she’s done.
  • Go to Antarctica to climb Vincent and why it was her favourite climb so far
  • Taking on Everest in April 2022
  • Leaving Carstensz Pyramid until the end due to the political situation and the costs involved. 
  • Costs of climbing mountains and how she’s paying for the adventures 
  • Going to Everest in 2021 and having her trip cancelled
  • Funding her challenges
  • Her fear of dying while in the mountains
  • Dealing with the downtime and how she handled the waiting. 
  • Handling her period while in the mountains
  • Using wet wipes to shower
  • Stop taking the pill when you are at high altitude as it thickens your blood
  • Wearing a nappy on the summit push?
  • Trying things out in advance
  • Dealing with stress diarrhea while climbing 
  • The mental side of the challenge 
  • Dealing with stress and anxiety 
  • How you can change your thinking 
  • Focusing on what she can control 
  • Visiting the Altitude Centre in London 
  • Getting physically strong and what training looks like this year
  • Developing her own training plan and being flexible with what it looks like
  • Stretching for recovery and eating well
  • Being anaemic and feeling tired
  • Feeling more relaxed and knowing what to expect this time around
  • Being guided by Nirmal Purja team 
  • Elite Expeditions 
  • Being inspired by Martyna Wojciechowska 
  • How you can follow Marta
  • Final words of advice and wisdom 
  • Being a normal person and making the decision to go for it. 
 
Social Media
 
 
Instagram: @tolivetotravel 
 
Facebook: @tolivetotravel 
 
Twitter: @tolivetotravel 
 

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