Lene Gammelgaard

Lene Gammelgaard, Danish mountaineer and adventurer, was the 35th woman and the 1st Scandinavian female to summit Everest in May 1996. Her success was overshadowed by the tragic deaths of eight team members, which made world headlines.

Gammelgaard was a member of the Sagamartha Environmental Expedition, led by internationally known and respected American mountaineer Scott Fischer, who was among the eight who perished during one of the most fateful storms on Everest.

Her story of survival and accomplishment in the wake of tragedy is captured in her presentations, and she reveals an awe-inspiring approach to conquering fear and coping with loss.

Lene Gammelgaard was born in Denmark in 1961. In addition to having scaled some of the highest peaks in the world, she has worked as a sailor, a lawyer, a psychotherapist, and a journalist. Her account of the Everest climb is powerfully portrayed in her book Climbing High: A Woman’s Account of Surviving the Everest Tragedy.

In her book, Lene writes of the passion and commitment it takes to face the challenges of extreme sports, the complex personal relationships forged under perilous conditions, and the exhilarating beauty of the world at high altitude. Her experience of success and tragedy is riveting and inspiring.

Lene Gammelgaard is the cofounder of several Danish drug treatment centres, is a writer and therapist, operating her own consulting business, focusing on the development of human resources using the outdoor environment as the learning lab. In April 2002 she moved to Scotland to pursue her work in this area as a PhD researcher for the University of Edinburgh.

A passionate speaker, Lene has a fascinating story to tell. Combined with her study in Human Resource development she offers a unique combination of expertise.

Lene presents in English, German and Danish.