In turn Himalayist, diplomat, humanitarian delegate, consultant, researcher, university teacher, writer and coach, Orianne Aymard (Ph.D.) has visited and lived in many countries. As part of her missions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in particular, she spent time in Africa, as well as in Haiti in the midst of the post-earthquake emergency. Orianne Aymard also worked for several years at the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs on human rights, violent extremism and religion. She also holds a Ph.D. (Religious Studies) from the University of Quebec in Montreal and has been a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, as well as a Research Associate at the Harvard the Humanitarian Initiative (HHI). She is the author of When a Goddess Dies, published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in New York, and is currently in the process of publishing a second book on her ascent of Lhotse (8516m).

PROGRAM INFORMATION 

“A woman on the top of Lhotse (8516m): One woman’s story of resilience and self-belief on the edge of life”

Victim at 25 of a serious brain hemorrhage in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, near the samadhi (tomb) of the one considered to be one of the greatest spiritual figures of modern India, Ma Anandamayi, also named the “Mother of Joy,” Orianne Aymard, a few years later, defies the medical prognosis which condemned her to give up high altitude, and decides to pursue her dream and climb Lhotse (8.516 m), the satellite summit of Mount Everest and 4th highest peak in the world. The one and only woman in her group, and even though she is not a mountaineer, she embarks on a journey that will take her to the ends of herself, to the edge of death. Despite the chaotic progress of her expedition, on May 23, 2019, she finds herself on the top of Lhotse, contemplating in front of her Everest, Chomolungma in Tibetan, the Mother Goddess of the World. 

In total simplicity, Orianne Aymard tells us straightforwardly about her daring, her victories, and her doubts, and shares with us the key stages that led her to the top of Lhotse. This is a real lesson in learning to surpass oneself and face crisis situations, but also to strengthen one's capacity for resilience and one's leadership.