When I first heard about The Mountain Is Us, I knew they were climbing Kilimanjaro last year. I even joined the group, but the timing just wasn’t right. I had to trust that. Then, earlier this year, while working on a Wim Hof project, I met Katja, one of the women from the group. She told me their next expedition would be in Mexico, climbing three mountains. Every part of my body said yes. It was a visceral, full-body response. I knew I needed to be there. Because The Mountain Is Us isn’t just about climbing peaks, it’s about inspiring women. It’s about reminding ourselves that we can do hard things, that we belong in wild, powerful places, and that nature holds a mirror to our strength.
🏔️ Training in Ireland
Back home in Ireland, I began my preparation: weights, cardio, breathwork, cold practice. We don’t have altitude here, so I trained what I could: my endurance, my mindset, my legs. I did long walks, because you can’t fake that kind of time on your feet. You have to teach your body what ten hours of walking feels like. And then, I was ready to go.
🇲🇽 The Pulse of Mexico City
I had never been to Mexico City before. Three of the women in our group were from Mexico, and through them, I got to experience the city from the inside out, the warmth, the generosity, the explosion of colour and life. It’s a city of contrast, vibrant, vast, alive in every direction. But even surrounded by all that energy, I could feel the mountains calling, the stillness, the space, the magnitude that makes you feel both small and infinite. Leaving the city behind was like shedding a layer of noise and stepping into something ancient and sacred.
Iztaccíhuatl – The Sleeping Woman
Our first climb was Iztaccíhuatl, or “Ista,” the sleeping woman, a magnificent mountain beside the active volcano Popocatépetl. When torrential rain made the road to base camp impassable, we had to hike in. The rain came sideways, thunder crashed, and lightning struck the ground in front of us. It was chaos, raw and real. We arrived soaked to the skin—clothes, sleeping bags, everything—and spent the night shivering at minus eight degrees.
But when we woke the next morning, the sky was clear and the mountain revealed herself, majestic and still, with Popo puffing smoke in the distance. In that moment, the hardship dissolved into awe. And that’s what The Mountain Is Us is about: that moment when discomfort gives way to wonder, when you realise you’re capable of more than you knew.
Pico de Orizaba – The Edge of Endurance
Next came Pico de Orizaba, Mexico’s highest peak at 5,636 metres (18,491 feet). The climb was relentless. The final four hours were on a glacier at a 55-degree angle, requiring crampons, an ice axe, a rope, and focus. The air was thin, the wind ferocious. We hadn’t eaten in hours because even removing a glove risked frostbite. The cold burned our faces. The world was reduced to one rhythm: step, breathe, step, breathe.
We climbed through the night, chasing solid ice before the sun could melt it. As dawn broke, the glacier glowed in pink light. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I barely dared look at it, because survival demanded full attention.
When the wind became too violent, we turned back just below the summit. It wasn’t failure. It was wisdom. And in that moment, I understood something profound: courage doesn’t always mean reaching the top. Sometimes, it means listening to the mountain and choosing to live another day. The descent was brutal—steep, loose gravel, endless. But we made it. And by nightfall, we were back in civilisation, washed, dressed up, and celebrating Día de los Muertos in Puebla, eating guacamole topped with tiny grasshoppers. The contrast was surreal and glorious.
La Malinche – Joy Reborn
Our final climb, La Malinche, felt like freedom. Sponsored by Lululemon, we hiked in sunshine and shorts, with laughter echoing through the trees. I flew up that mountain, my legs strong, my spirit soaring. After everything, I felt lighter than ever. That’s what happens when you test your limits. The struggle alchemises into joy.
🎁 The Gift of Mexico
I fell in love with Mexico, its soul, its food, its people. There’s something about the Mexican spirit that reminds me of Ireland: warmth, humour, resilience, and a deep love of music, family, and story. But more than anything, this journey reminded me of why I do what I do, and why I climb.
Because the mountain really is us. It’s our resistance and our rise. It’s our fear and our freedom. It’s the voice inside that says, “You can’t,” and the deeper voice that whispers, “Watch me”. For every woman who’s ever doubted her strength or felt too busy, too tired, too ordinary, this is the reminder: you are capable of extraordinary things. Sometimes, you just need to step out of the city, into the wild, and remember who you are. Training has already begun for “Where to next?”.
