Rabat – Moroccan adventurer and high-altitude mountaineer Nawal Sfendla has launched a public fundraising campaign to support her upcoming attempt to climb Mount Everest in 2026, a mission she describes as the “natural next step” in her journey of resilience and determination.
Sfendla, known for her record-breaking achievements in extreme environments, has set a goal of MAD 425,499, with the campaign currently showing early support from donors. She invited supporters to contribute through the fundraiser for what she describes as “the journey of a lifetime.”
The ascent is not only a sporting challenge but also a symbolic mission representing courage, perseverance, and the spirit of Moroccan youth, she explains.
Sfendla revealed her connection to Everest began in 2013 during a trip to Tibet in the Himalayas. Standing at the mountain’s base camp for the first time, she says she felt “a deep calling” that one day she would return, not for fame, but out of a sense of purpose.
Since then, she has built a remarkable mountaineering résumé. In 2022, she became the first Moroccan woman to reach the summit of Manaslu (8,163 m), the eighth-highest mountain in the world and one of the Himalayan 8000ers.
Before that, she completed an unprecedented challenge of climbing Morocco’s nine peaks above 4,000 meters in only five days.
Her expeditions have taken her from the Atlas Mountains to the Dolomites, the Mont Blanc massif, and even to the Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania. Through these experiences, Sfendla says she has learned discipline, patience, precise decision-making, and mental strength, skills she believes apply far beyond mountaineering.
Carrying Morocco on the world stage
For Sfendla, the Everest ascent is more than a personal goal. She hopes to highlight a new, modern image of Moroccan alpinism and inspire young people to dream bigger.
“I deeply believe that youth represent the future. They carry the boldness, openness, and ability to make our country shine in new ways,” she says. Sfendla embraces the opportunity to represent her country on the world stage as both an honor and a responsibility.
Everest symbolizes both an external and internal summit, one that reflects her years of effort, setbacks, victories, and personal growth, she explains. And as she prepares for the 2026 climb, Sfendla says she approaches the challenge with humility, maturity, and alert confidence. Because, she concludes, the ultimate aim is to embody a Morocco that is “strong, inspiring, and modern.”