Celebrating 10 Years of Gutsy Girls: Adventure Women Who Inspire Us
For a decade, the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour has celebrated women who push boundaries, redefine limits, and inspire us to live boldly. As we mark our 10th anniversary, we’re spotlighting ten extraordinary adventure women whose stories remind us what becomes possible when we refuse to accept limitations.
Meet Bianca Adler—an 18-year-old Australian mountaineer from Melbourne who’s already rewriting the record books. At just 16, she became the youngest woman in the world to summit both Mount Manaslu (8,163m)—the eighth highest mountain on Earth—and the technical beauty of Ama Dablam (6,812m). She holds Guinness World Records for both achievements.
In May 2025, at 17, Bianca attempted to become the youngest Australian to summit Mount Everest. She made it to 8,450 metres—just 400 metres below the summit—before dangerous winds, failing visibility, and the early stages of frostbite forced her to make the hardest decision of her young climbing career: to turn around. After spending four days in the “death zone” where oxygen levels drop to 33 per cent of what we breathe at sea level, and with both her and her father diagnosed with high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE), she chose safety over summiting.
That decision—to recognise her limits and prioritise life over achievement—might be her most impressive accomplishment yet.
We sat down with Bianca to talk about growing up in a mountaineering family, confronting fear in the death zone, navigating a male-dominated world whilst staying unapologetically feminine, and what she’d tell young girls dreaming their own big, wild dreams.
A Conversation with Bianca Adler
Start off by telling us about yourself, where you’re from, what you do, a fun fact about yourself, your favourite adventure snack.
Hey!! I’m Bianca, an 18 year old Aussie mountaineer from Melbourne, but I spent a lot of my childhood in the French Alps. I have climbed lots in the Himalayas and the Alps, and I also love to train in the Aussie back-country. I have 2 world records for being the youngest woman to ever summit Mt Manaslu, and Ama Dablam – two Himalayan beasts! In 2025 I attempted to be the youngest Aussie to summit Mt Everest, but unfortunately I had to turn around just 400m below the summit due to dangerous weather. Although I love to push myself to my limits in the mountains, I still love to be girly, go to parties and I always try to sneak as much pink as I can into my climbing and hiking outfits. My favourite snack when hiking in the Australian Alps with my Dad, is definitely wraps with peanut butter and beef jerky on top! Otherwise, when I’m climbing, a good snickers bar never disappoints!
What first sparked your love for adventure, and how did that moment change the trajectory of your life?
My parents, Fiona and Paul Adler have both climbed Mt Everest in 2006 and 2007 and adventuring has always been a part of my life. As a family, along with my brother, we lived in the French Alps for 7 years and we did lots of hiking and basic rock climbing. I gradually progressed and would ask my dad to take me on harder climbs. When I was 12, I summited Mt Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, which had previously been my life goal to summit. It was incredibly difficult for me, despite me training very intensively for it. After climbing it so young, I knew that I needed to dream bigger – so I set my life goal as Mt Everest! I became very focused on Alpine climbing and mountaineering, not because I wanted to climb Everest at a young age, but because I had (and still have) a genuine love for the sport and wanted to be the best I could become. I continued my training after Mt Blanc, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to climb many more increasingly difficult mountains alongside my father.
When you look back at your journey, what has been the most defining or transformative experience in your career so far?
The most transformative experience for me was summiting my first big mountain, Mont Blanc (4810m) at 12. Mont Blanc is a mountain that is incredibly well known in the Alps, and as a young girl, hearing the men who were my dad’s age talking about the possibility of climbing it made me want to climb it at some point in my life too! Little did I know that I would summit it just a few months after setting it as my life goal! Despite the climb being incredibly physically and mentally tough, I knew I wanted to aim higher and dream bigger!
Adventure is full of risk and uncertainty—what fears have you had to confront, and how do you move through them?
I definitely feel fear, and I think that’s really important. Fear is healthy, especially in the mountains where the risks are real and sometimes out of your control, like icefall. For me, the goal has always been bigger than the fear. When things feel overwhelming, I focus on what I can control, my preparation, my decisions, my pacing, and my mindset. Accepting that some things are out of my hands actually helps me stay calm. Fear doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be there, it just means I care and I’m aware.
The adventure world is still heavily male-dominated. What has been your biggest challenge navigating that, and what has helped you stay grounded and confident?
When I was younger I didn’t even know how male dominated the industry is, but It was only when I began climbing bigger and more technical mountains that I realised this. I have always been very girly and absolutely love wearing flowy dresses and lots of pink. On big expeditions such as Mt Manaslu or Everest it was sometimes hard to feel feminine or to be able to relate to the majority of climbers who were male. On every climb, I love to have bright nails, wear as much pink as possible, and listen to my girly, pop music which always makes me feel confident. At the end of the day, everyone out there shares the same love for the mountains, and I’ve made so many meaningful friendships regardless of gender. It really does feel like a community.
What does strength look like to you—physically, mentally, or emotionally?
For me, strength isn’t just about being physically strong or good at suffering. It’s more about consistency and mindset. It’s turning up day after day, trusting the process, and staying calm when things don’t go to plan. A lot of it is learning how to sit with discomfort without panicking, and being able to listen to myself enough to know when to push and when to stop. Strength is also not letting one bad day, or even one failed summit, define who I am or what I’m capable of.
Who are the women (or people) who have inspired you the most, and how have they shaped the way you show up in the world?
I’ve been inspired by a mix of women both close to me and out in the adventure world. My mum was one of the earliest influences in my life. She is the third Australian woman to summit Everest, and growing up with her stories and experiences made adventure feel normal and achievable rather than something distant or unrealistic. Seeing women like Kristin Harila push limits of what was thought to be impossible for any man or woman has also been really motivating. I spent a lot of time with her on Everest, and being around her experience and approach to the mountains was incredibly motivating. I’m equally inspired by younger climbers like Emma Schwerin and Kaamya Karthikeyan Sahas, who climbed Everest at 17 and 16 and have each completed the Seven Summits, as well as Gabby Kanizay, who summited Everest at 19 and became the youngest Australian to do so. Seeing women so close to my age take on huge challenges has made my own goals feel more tangible and reinforced the belief that age or gender doesn’t have to hold you back if you’re prepared and committed.
What keeps you going on the hard days—when the weather, the world, or your own doubts feel stacked against you?
Once I’ve made the plan to be there, I commit to it. On the hard days, I remind myself why I chose this path in the first place. I think about the years of training and experiences on past mountains it took to even stand on that mountain and how lucky I am to be there. The pain is always temporary, but the experience and the lessons last forever. My love for challenge and adventure always outweighs the suffering.
How has adventure changed the way you see yourself, your body, and your place in the world?
Adventure has shown me how strong and adaptable I really am. Being constantly pushed into new environments and unexpected situations has taught me to trust myself. Spending long periods in discomfort has also made me incredibly grateful for the simple things when I’m off the mountain. On long hikes or expeditions, I always write a list of things I miss from home, like a warm bed, thick air at low altitude, and sushi. Putting myself in situations that are sometimes physically dangerous has completely changed my perspective on discomfort. If I’m at school and I forget my jumper and feel cold, it gives me perspective, because I know I’ve been through much harder situations and handled them. Climbing has redefined what “hard” feels like for me and taught me that discomfort isn’t something to fear. It’s something I can sit with and move through.
If you could tell young girls or emerging adventurers one thing about pursuing big, wild dreams, what would it be?
Keep dreaming big, and then dream even bigger. You are so much stronger and braver than you think. I’ve doubted myself so many times, both before and during climbs. What’s helped me is breaking these massive goals down into smaller, manageable stages. When you focus on one step at a time, even the biggest mountains start to feel possible.
What’s one adventure you hope to take in the next few years?
I would love to climb K2, the second highest mountain, at some point. It’s very technical, and I still need a lot of experience in order to be able to climb it but I know at some point I will do it.
Bianca’s journey is far from over. In April 2026 she will re-attempt to summit Mt Everest and become the youngest Australian woman to do so.
Bianca’s also got her sights set on K2, one of the world’s most technical and dangerous peaks. She’ll continue training in the Australian backcountry and the Himalayas. She’ll keep sneaking pink into her climbing outfits and eating peanut butter and beef jerky wraps with her dad in the Australian Alps.
Most importantly, she’ll keep proving that you don’t have to fit anyone’s mould to achieve extraordinary things. You can be feminine and fierce. You can love pink and love peaks. You can be 18 years old and hold world records. You can turn around just 400 metres from the summit and still be a success.
Because the real summit isn’t a point on a mountain—it’s becoming the person you need to be to get there, and having the wisdom to know when to stop.
That’s what makes Bianca Adler a gutsy girl who inspires us.
Follow Bianca’s journey on Instagram @bianca_adler1 and at adlers.com.au
