‘No Crowds, Just Peaks’: Bulgaria’s Hristina Yosifova’s Solo Ascent of Everest
Jerusalem, 4 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Stara Zagora (BTA) – From the roof of the world, clouds and many more peaks are visible, but the view is worth it. This was said in an interview with BTA by Hristina Yosifova, who became the fourth Bulgarian to climb the highest peak in the world, Mt. Everest.
This is the second peak of 8,000 meters in the Himalayas that Yosifova has climbed in just nine months. In September 2024, she became the first Bulgarian to climb the Himalayan peak Manaslu (8163 m), and the first woman from Stara Zagora to reach an “eight-thousander.”
Yosifova said the decision to climb Everest came literally in days and without advanced planning. It all started at the beginning of the calendar year and somehow by chance. “I had another eight-thousander in mind and since I have friends in Nepal, I decided to ask them what the situation was with climbing Everest from the Chinese side, since this route had been closed for quite a long time. I received an answer that the climb from the north was already accessible and there was a low attendance. I discussed the decision with my child, who supported me immediately, and I signed up for the first possible group. The whole expedition took about a month,” Yosifova said.
Her ambition has always been to reach Everest the harder way, because as a mountaineer she doesn’t accept crowds on the way to the summit, with all the dirt, noise and commercialism. “Like every climber, I have always had a dream to climb to the top of the world, but not the standard route from Nepal. I think the crowds there would have stressed me out. For me, how I feel in the mountains is extremely important,” explains the fourth Bulgarian to climb the world’s highest peak.
She met the other members of the group she is going with to the summit in Kathmandu, and their total number was seven people. After a briefing, they traveled together to the first base camp and from there each determined their own route to the next camp.
“We were all experienced mountaineers. After breakfast, everyone grabbed their backpack and set off to the next point at their own discretion. We never had a moment when anyone got lost. We used navigation. I lost my path twice, but I quickly returned to the right direction. Everyday life is spent walking, eating, sleeping and, as far as possible, discussing the attack on the summit. I am satisfied because there was no one to impose a pace on me, determine whether to rest or anything else,” Yosifova said.
The group did not have enough Sherpas and guides, did not have any rescue or medical support, and the camps themselves were being built literally before their eyes. Providing enough food and water was also among the difficulties, especially in the high-altitude camps, the Bulgarian explains.
According to her, she did not have any difficulties or worries during the climb and felt good the whole time. “It was difficult for me on the way down. Then the exhaustion – purely emotional and physical – took its toll. I carried my own luggage, I had back pain, which intensified on the way down and this caused me some discomfort, but fortunately there were no serious problems. The final climb itself is certainly quite difficult. Up there is literally a wall of rock, there is no snow, there is a strong wind. For the last kilometer and a little over 600 meters of elevation gain. This last part is a nine-hour climb,” says Yosifova.
She said that from the roof of the world one can see clouds and many more peaks. On May 24, when Yosifova reached the summit, there were about 15 people there who met on the roof of the world.
Yosifova assumes that she will return to the high mountain again, but she still has no concrete plans for another eight-thousander. “I want to conquer the Alps, which have always been unknown territory for me. I adore the Bulgarian mountains and I feel very good here,” she shared.
In addition to being a woman who has conquered Everest, Yosifova also presents herself as a teacher of a type of Tibetan healing gymnastics. She has a gym in Sofia, where she and her like-minded people conduct courses and training. In addition, she is a paramedic and mainly works in the field to provide support for competitions, television films and productions. She also conducts first aid courses throughout the country.
A native of Stara Zagora, Yosifova lives in Sofia. “I travel a lot, but I think my life is orderly and happy. I have no worries about my future. I sincerely hope that my parents and my child will be healthy,” she said.
In her message to young people and all Bulgarians, Yosifova called on them to love the mountains and to spend all their free time outdoors.
“The mountain is a source of energy and a place where a person can be alone with themselves or in good company. There we reveal our true nature,” Yosifova said.
