23-year-old Regine Mai from Juelsminde, Denmark is spending her final days preparing for what could become the biggest challenge of her life: climbing Mount Everest – and potentially becoming the youngest Dane ever to reach the summit.
She will leave Denmark on April 7 by flight and travel to Kathmandu, Nepal, where she and her team will spend a few days on final preparations before the expedition begins.
From there, the plan is to fly to Lukla – the world’s most dangerous airport due to its short runway – before starting the trek towards Everest Base Camp, where she has already been once.
”It was a truly magical experience — looking up through the Khumbu Icefall at the world’s highest peak,” she says. That was the moment she knew she wanted to climb it herself one day.
The flight to Lukla is expected around April 11, but the schedule depends heavily on weather conditions.
”Last time, when the weather finally cleared, we ended up waiting two extra days than we had originally planned.”
Not about reaching the top
Despite aiming for the summit – and a potential national record – Regine insists the climb is not about standing on top of the world.
She is not afraid of not reaching the top.
“If this was about prestige or recognition, then I would have everything to lose,” she says.
Instead, she sees Everest as part of a broader mindset.
“I’ve prepared down to the smallest detail, and of course I’ll do everything I can to get there. But in the mountains, there are factors you simply cannot control – and that’s something you have to accept.”
Facts about Mount Everest
Mount Everest rises 8,848.86 metres above sea level, making it the highest point on Earth.
More than 20 Danes have reached the summit – the first in 1995.
The mountain lies on the border between Nepal and China.
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit in 1953.
At least 344 people have died attempting to climb Everest.
The mountain has been summited more than 11,000 times by over 6,000 people.
Source: Wikipedia, Mountains.dk and TV2
For her, the journey matters just as much as the outcome.
“I’m not going to take unnecessary risks just to reach the top. The mountain will still be there next year – and the year after that. Some risks are just part of life.”
“If you let fear of failure stop you, you also stop yourself from living fully.”
She also stresses that a climb is only successful once you return safely.
“You haven’t really completed a successful climb until you’re back at base camp again,” she says.
Years of preparation
Preparing for Everest has taken years.
Her journey into mountaineering began in 2022, shortly after finishing high school, when she and a friend travelled to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro – with little preparation.
It was extremely tough she says. But an amazing experience. And while her friend had no desire to repeat it, Regine was hooked.
Since then, she has climbed six mountains above 5,000 metres – and lost count of the rest.
Regine trains every day, combining strength training, running, and endurance workouts. At the same time, she works between 50–70 hours a week across two jobs to finance part of the expedition.
“It’s something I’ve trained myself to do. Like studying or going to work – it’s not something I question, it’s just part of my routine,” she says.
The expedition is expected to cost more than 500,000 Danish kroner, though the final amount is still unclear as some parts are sponsored while others are self-funded.
She plans to calculate the full cost once she returns home, noting that much of her gear has been built up over several expeditions.
Base Camp is like a festival
Once at Everest Base Camp, the expedition will continue with so-called rotations – climbing up and down the mountain to adapt to the altitude.
As part of the preparation, Regine will also climb Island Peak. This helps her practise climbing techniques and reduces time spent in the dangerous Khumbu Icefall – the riskiest section of the route.
“It’s a bit like a festival – everyone lives together in tents at base camp and then heads out from there,” she says.
She will climb with her Danish guide Jakob Urth and a Sherpa each, forming a team of four.
Regine also plans to share parts of the journey on Instagram as much as possible.
▶ Danish climbers who have summited Mount Everest (click to expand)
- Michael Knakkergaard Jørgensen – 1995
- Lene Gammelgaard – 1996
- Mads Granlien – 2000 (with Asmus Nørreslet)
- Asmus Nørreslet – 2000 and 2001
- Nick Nielsen – 2005
- Søren Gudmann – 2005
- Henrik Andre Olsen – 2006
- Mogens Jensen – 2007
- Søren Smidt – 2008
- Henrik Kristensen – 2008
- Carsten Bennike – 2009
- Jens Christian Trolle Nielsen – 2010
- Stina Glavind Dalgaard Pedersen – 2010
- Martin Cederkrantz – 2013
- Ole Mose Nielsen – 2013
- Rikke Højland – 2013
- Arne Vatnhamar – 2014
- Jakob Urth – 2018 and 2023 (with Emma Østergaard)
- Rasmus Kragh – 2019
- Emma Østergaard – 2023 (with Jakob Urth)
Sources: Jyllands-Posten, Berlingske, TV2 Østjylland
Not afraid of the risk
Despite the dangers, Regine says she is not afraid.
“Without ignoring the risks in the mountains, it’s simply not something we see as a possibility. No, it’s not, ” she says, when asked if her parents is afraid of not making it home.
She adds that she is, in many ways, more concerned about everyday risks – like cycling in Copenhagen without a helmet — than she is about not returning from Everest.
Her parents are supportive, though she acknowledges there might be some concern.
”That’s natural for any parent. But we have a really good dialogue about it, and they trust both me and my team.”
“We do everything we can to avoid unnecessary risks and make the right decisions at the right time.”
Regine is expected to return to Denmark in early June. If successful, she could become the youngest Dane ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
