Naoko Watanabe, the first woman to conquer the world's second-highest peak, K2, three times, has also summited all 14 of the world's tallest mountains. But the 44-year-old Japanese climber says her passion is less about piling up records and more about enjoying adventure, happiness, and experiencing new people, food, and culture. She plans to return in June to her favorite climb, Pakistan's Nanga Parbat, known as the "killer mountain," with a group of amateur trekkers.
An Ordinary Person with Extraordinary Achievements
"I'm just an ordinary person who has happened to achieve records while climbing the Himalayas during my vacations," Watanabe told The Associated Press in a recent interview in Tokyo. "I don't consider myself a mountaineer." Working as a nurse to fund her climbing, she first reached an 8,000-meter peak in 2006 when she summited Cho Oyu on the Nepal-China border. After becoming a full-time university hospital nurse in 2009, she struggled to balance work and climbing, eventually switching to temporary nursing to climb more often.
Climbing for Peace of Mind
Watanabe sees climbing as a way to regain peace of mind from Japan's often stressful, conformity-bound environment. She now wants to share the joy of mountain climbing with those who need a break. In June, she will lead a trek to Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth-highest peak, which she reached in 2022. Most participants will stay at base camp, encouraged to follow at their own pace, take photos, and talk to Sherpa guides. "They are not supposed to be working hard," Watanabe says. "I want them to be free from stereotypes and realize that the Himalayas can be fun."
A Lifetime of Adventure
Born in Onojo City in 1981, Watanabe started climbing at age 3, encouraged by her mother. She attended camps in China and Mongolia and climbed a snowy mountain in Pakistan at 12. Her passion for adventure helped her through difficult times as she struggled with societal pressure to conform. Her medical training as a nurse has been invaluable during 31 expeditions over 20 years, helping her make quick decisions in emergencies.
Lessons from the Mountains
In her first Everest attempt in 2011, she turned back just 150 meters from the summit due to worsening weather, despite her Sherpa's protests. On the descent, she lost her sight temporarily and later contracted pneumonia. In 2013, she successfully reached Everest's summit on an extremely windy day when others retreated. Watanabe became the first Japanese woman to scale all 14 highest peaks in October 2024 and the first woman to summit K2 three times, a Guinness World Record. She plans to keep climbing for joy, saying, "I will probably end up climbing about 100 times. It would be fun if that becomes a record set in my own unique way."
