For Australia, Susan Erica Fear or more familiarly called Sue Fear, is their biggest female mountain climber. Sue climbs many mountains in the Himalayas and is one of the most respected outdoor expedition guides.

Sue previously worked in the office of a travel agency called Wilderness Expedition, but when the company was acquired by World Expeditions, Sue Fear chose to leave her desk, shouldered her backpack and climbing gear, and became a popular mountaineer, adventurer and leader of mountaineering expeditions.

Susan has led adventure and cross-country skiing expeditions in Australia. Then Sue has also been a guide for trips to Africa, South America, and Asia (Himalayan). Not only in World Expeditions, but in general Sue Fear is also widely recognized as one of the senior professional guides and leads many mountaineering expeditions that have high physical challenges.

Photo source: Australian Geographic

In 1997 Susan led an Australian team expedition to Makalu La Peak (7,680 meters) in Nepal. Susan’s expedition was successful in bringing the Australian team to the top and earning her a flood of praise and recognition.

After Makalu La, Sue Fear continued her ascent at Cho Oyu in 1998, then Shishapangma which she climbed in 2002. While in 2003, Susan climbed Mount Everest via the Tibetan side (North Col) which is known to have higher technical difficulties than via Nepal side (South Col).

With her reaching the summit of Everest in 2003, Sue Fear made her name as the first Australian woman to do so. From Everest then Susan’s eight thousand meter climb continued to Gasherbrum II in Pakistan in 2004. Two years later, Susan also managed to reach Manaslu Peak, the peak which later became the last 8.000 meter Peak that Susan visited.

Sue Fear received a fair amount of recognition for her reputation on the mountain.

In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medals for his dedication to mountaineering. While in 2003 he also won for Adventure of the Years nomination organized by the Australian Geographic Society. Susan is also trusted as an ambassador for the Australian Himalayan Foundation and is also a significant fundraiser for the Australian Nepalese Medical Group.

Apart from being an accomplished mountaineer who has reached five peaks of eight thousand meters, Susan Erica Fear also wrote her biography in a book called Fear No Boundary: The Road to Everest and Beyond. In writing this book, Susan was accompanied by another Australian climber named Lincoln Hall, who is also famous for his books entitled White Limbo and Dead Lucky.

Photo source: Australian Geographic

After descending from the top of Manaslu in 2006, Susan slipped and fell in a crevasse at an altitude of 7,800 meters. She died on Sunday, May 28, 2006.

Susan’s body has been left lying on top of Manaslu to this day, in accordance with her own wishes which always advised that if she died in the mountains, then let her body remain there.

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