Anja Karen Blacha (born 18 June 1990) is a German mountaineer. Blacha holds a number of climbing records: in 2017, she became the youngest German woman to climb Mount Everest and youngest German overall to climb all Seven Summits and in 2019 she became the first German woman to climb K2.
In 2020, she set a world record as the first woman to ski solo and unsupported from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole. This journey also makes her the youngest person ever to reach the South Pole solo and unsupported from a coastal starting point.
She has a track record of 100% first time success, and, being a full-time business professional, has been almost entirely self-funded on her expeditions.
Personal life Blacha grew up in Bielefeld, Germany and lived and worked in London, UK before moving to Zurich, Switzerland in 2016. She has been working in the telecommunications industry and in project management. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from University of Mannheim with studies at UC Berkeley and Korea University, as well as a Master's degree in Philosophy from Birkbeck, University of London.
She has been a long-time athlete in fencing. In 2012, she was awarded Sportswoman of the year by the University of London.
In 2017, Zeit Campus named her one of "18 for 18", a feature of 18 people under age 30 who are having an impact in Germany.Zeit Campus, issue 1/18, 05.12.2017
Expeditions
Mountaineering expeditions
Seven Summits Anja Blacha first started mountaineering in 2015 when she climbed Aconcagua. She then continued to climb all Seven Summits, scaling the highest mountain on each continent with 100% first-time success in just under three years. At age 26, she became the youngest German woman to summit Mount Everest which she climbed via the North route from Tibet. Later that year, at age 27, she became the youngest German to complete all Seven Summits. +NoYearPeakElevationContinent12015Aconcagua6,962 mSouth America22015Kilimanjaro5,895 mAfrica32016Denali6,194 mNorth America42016Mount Elbrus5,642 mEurope52016Carstensz Pyramid4,884 mAustralia62017Mount Everest8,848 mAsia72017Mount Vinson4,892 mAntarctica
K2 expedition In summer 2019, Anja embarked on a double expedition in Pakistan to climb Broad Peak and K2 in the same season. As part of the acclimatisation for K2, she first summited Broad Peak, the world's 12th highest mountain at 8,047 m, on July 4. Thereafter, she summited K2, the world's 2nd highest mountain at 8,611 m, on July 25, ascending via the Abruzzi Spur, descending via the Cesen route. She reached both summits without the use of supplemental oxygen.
She is the first German woman to have summited K2 and the 8th German overall.
Other 8,000er peaks In 2021, Blacha climbed Mount Everest a second time, now from the South Side using bottled oxygen above 8,400 m.
In 2023, she climbed Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II, thus scaling all of the five Pakistani 8,000 m peaks without bottled oxygen.
In 2024, Anja summited Makalu, Kangchenjunga, Manaslu and Cho Oyu without supplementary oxygen. The following year, she climbed Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri and Everest, again without bottled oxygen. +NoYearPeakElevationOxygen12017, 2021, 2025Mount Everest8,848 mNo O2 202522019Broad Peak8,051 mNo O232019K28,611 mNo O242023Nanga Parbat8,125 mNo O252023Gasherbrum II8,034 mNo O262023Gasherbrum I8,080 mNo O272024Kangchenjunga8,586 mNo O282024Makalu8,485 mNo O292024Manaslu8,163 mNo O2102024Cho Oyu8,188 mNo O2112025Annapurna I8,091 mNo O2122025Dhaulagiri8,167 mNo O2
Polar expeditions
Southern Solitaire
On 9 January 2020, Anja reached the South Pole after having skied for 57 days, 18 hours, and 50 minutes from the Northern end of Berkner Island to the South Pole. She has started further North on Berkner Island than any other expedition before her, and set the record for the longest solo unsupported polar expedition by any woman at that time. Besides being the first woman to achieve this, she is also still the youngest person to ski solo unsupported to the South Pole from a coastal starting point.
Only five people in history have accomplished a journey from Berkner Island to the South Pole solo, unsupported, and unassisted before her. Amongst these are polar explorers Børge Ousland, Ben Saunders, and Henry Worsley who died shortly after being evacuated on a later part of his expedition.
INTERSPORT has supported this expedition, and together they launched the campaign “Not bad for a girl” to inspire and encourage people to look beyond stereotypes.
Other polar expeditions
2019, Greenland, ski crossing West to East, team, unsupported 2023, Akshayuk Pass ski crossing, solo, unsupported 2023, Northwest Passage ski crossing Cambridge Bay to Gjoa Haven, team, unsupported
External links Official Website Anja Blacha on Instagram
References