Benedicte Teigen Gude, a well-known shipping figure at the giant Wilhelmsen group, has become only the 11th Norwegian woman to stand on top of the world having successfully climbed Mount Everest.
Gude reached the summit on 23 May in a climb undertaken with her husband, real-estate investor Gaute Gude Teigen, who was also previously with the shipping firm.
The pair took around two months off work to complete the adventure, which saw the couple become the 58th and 59th Norwegians to tame the world’s highest mountain.
Gude told TradeWinds during Nor-Shipping that her venture, which had only been completed by 548 women globally before this season, was about “living the dream and grasping the opportunities life offers”.
“We had a fantastic experience where everything went according to plan,” said Gude, who is today senior vice president of human resources and communications at the Wilhelmsen group.
“Two things stand out: Reaching the south summit and seeing the iconic ridge to the summit, and realising that a long-time dream would actually come true.
“And, climbing with our awesome Sherpas. They are so strong, so dedicated, so experienced.
"Honoured beyond words. They have become friends for life.”
She described reaching the summit as “fine but nothing more”, knowing plenty of hard work was still ahead.
“When you’re at the summit - even though it is the highest mountain in the world - you’re just halfway,” Gude said.
“We just took the necessary pictures and started walking down.”
The couple are experienced international climbers, with Everest long established on their list as part of a quest to take on the famous Seven Summits — the highest peaks on the world’s seven continents.
Gude said they still have three more mountains to climb to complete the set. But they hope to climb each of them in the future.
For others wishing to follow in her footsteps, Gude has some advice: “Make sure you have sufficient experience and a highly skilled and trained team with you to make the necessary and safe decisions on the mountain.”
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