Previous Expeditions

2025

Lourdes – May with the Order of Malta.

2024

Morocco – September cultural tour.
Lourdes – May with the Order of Malta.

2023

Saudi Arabia – December reconnaissance with explorer Rosie Stancer to trace the incense trade route.
Lourdes – May. All Vanessa’s charity work is now prioritized through the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta. The annual pilgrimage to Lourdes involves taking malades who seek spiritual reflection and hope.

2022

Blue Origin NS-22, crew capsule reached an apogee of 347,585ft AGL / 351,585ft MSL (106 km AGL / 107 km MSL). Official launch time was 8:56:07 AM CDT / 13:56:07 UTC on August 4, 2022.

2021

Published To The Greatest Heights to worldwide acclaim.

2020

Challenger Deep, Eastern Pool, 10,925 meters, 1:30 pm on 12 June 2020

2017

K2, The Abruzzi Spur, 28,251 ft, Summit at 4:40 pm on 28 July, 2017

2016

K2 Camp 3 The Abruzzi Spur, Pakistan 23,760 ft trip cancelled to avalanches July 23, 2016
Chimborazo, Ecuador Volcano, 20,564 ft, Summit on 6 June, 2016
Cayambe, Ecuador Volcano, 18,996 ft, Summit on 30 May, 2016

2015

Cayambe, Ecuador Volcano, 18,996 ft, Summit on 9 December, 2015
Illiniza North, Ecuador Volcano, 16,817 ft, Summit on 7 December 2015
Carihuairazo, Ecuador Volcano, 16,463 ft, Summit at 5 December 2015
K2 Camp 2 The Abruzzi Spur, Pakistan 21,100 ft trip cancelled to avalanches July 25, 2015

2014

Mt. Whitney, Mountaineer’s Route, 14,508 ft, Summit at 10:45 am on 19 April, 2014
Mont Blanc, Aiguille du Goûter, 15,781 ft, Summit at 12:15 pm on June 25, 2014
Manaslu, normal route via Samagaun, 26,759 ft, Summit at 9:26 am on Sept. 25, 2014

2013

Aconcagua, via Plaza de Mulas, 22,841 ft Summit 11:30 am on January 20, 2013
Mt. Kilimanjaro, Umbwe Route, 19,340 ft, Summit 7:07 am on March 10, 2013
North Pole, Ski’d the Last Degree (111 km), ‘Summited’ at 5:21 pm on 16 April 2013

2012

Lobuche East Normal Route, 19,700 ft Summit at 11:30 am on 14 April 2012
Everest South Ridge Route, 29,035 ft Summit at 4:12 am on 19 May 2012
Denali West Buttress, 20,310 ft Summit at 7:30 pm on 19 June 2012
Mt. Elbrus, Baksan Valley Route, 18,510 ft Summit at 10:50 am on July 15, 2012
Carstensz Pyramid, Sugapa Route, 16,023 ft Summit at 8:30 am 23 September 2012
Mt. Kosciuszko, via Thredbo, 7,310 ft Summit at 11:30 am on 3 October 2012
Vinson Massif, Main Route, 16,050 ft Summit at 12:00 pm on 5 December 2012
South Pole, Ski’d the Last Degree (111 km), ‘Summited’ at 2 pm on 15 Dec 2012

2011

Mt. Rainer Kautz Glacier, 14,410 ft Summit at 11:30 am June 16, 2011
Shishapangma Tibet Central, 26,273 ft Summit at 10:30 am on October 4, 2011
Cho Oyu Tibet, 26,906 ft Summit at 7:45 am on October 12, 2011

2010

Everest Nepal Southeast Ridge Khumbu Icefall 18,500 ft April 28, 2010
Cho Oyu Tibet Camp 1 21,100 ft– trip cancelled to avalanches Sept 10, 2010

2005

Mt. Kilimanjaro Machame Route, Summit 19,340 ft 7:30 am on Dec 16, 2005

About Vanessa O’Brien

Vanessa O’Brien is a British female mountaineer and an American female mountaineer (as a result of her dual nationality), explorer, aquanaut, astronaut, author, and public speaker.

Her story of overcoming adversity and transformation unfolds in her book, To The Greatest Heights: Facing Danger, Finding Humility and Climbing A Mountain of Truth, Simon and Schuster (2021), described by many readers as one the most honest and riveting adventure autobiographies ever written.

Vanessa has an incredible six Guinness World Records: Only, First, Fastest, Deepest, Farthest and Oldest. Vanessa is the only woman to reach extremes on land, sea, and air (the Explorers' Extreme Trifecta) following her mission on Blue Origin's NS-22 to 107km. Vanessa was the first woman to reach earth’s highest and lowest points, (Mt. Everest 8,848m) and (Challenger Deep 10,925m), with the latter being deeper than Mt. Everest is tall. She is the fastest woman to climb the Seven Summits in 295 days, and the first person to reach nearest to and farthest from the earth's core (Challenger Deep and the summit of Chimborazo.)

Vanessa is the first woman to complete the Four Poles Challenge, going the farthest north * south * east * west from the top of Everest to the bottom of Challenger Deep to skiing the last degree to the geographic North and South Poles. She holds the record for the oldest woman to summit K2, the second tallest peak, at 52 years old.

Vanessa became the first American or British woman to successfully summit K2, receiving Explorer of the Year by the Scientific Exploration Society (SES) in 2018. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an Honorary Advisory Board member of the SES.

Vanessa summitted the highest peak on every continent, receiving a Guinness World Record for the fastest time a woman first achieved this goal (295 days.) Vanessa has skied the last 111 km to the north and south poles completing the Explorers Grand Slam in 11 months, the first woman to do so in under a year, and the 8th woman in the world. Vanessa ran the Boston Marathon in 2017, helping to raise money for the American Red Cross, has been shot testing bulletproof vests with a .38 long revolver at point blank range, and rode 200 mph with Mario Andretti at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Follow @vobonline