Meet the first trans climber to attempt The Seven Summits
When she transitioned, Parisi worried she’d no longer be able to hang in outdoor sports and travel safely in the world. Taking on the Seven Summits speaks to the fact that she can do these things while living authentically. “The Seven Summits has been a great way to travel around and re-define my space in the world, and re-take my space,” Parisi said.She started in 2018 and has continued throughout the pandemic, though it has made things more challenging.
So far, Parisi has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mt. Kosciusko in Australia, Mt. Elbrus in Europe, Mt. Aconcagua in South America, and most recently Vinson Massif in Antarctica.Next up is Denali in North America and then the grand finale, Asia’s Mt.
Everest. Parisi said that each mountain prepares you for Everest, the world’s tallest peak, in its own way. Vinson Massif, which she reached the top of on Dec.
26, is the coldest. Denali is the most challenging. Parisi plans to summit Denali this spring, and Everest in 2023.“Travel to me provides empowerment– building that bridge of seeing what else is going on in the world and seeing perspectives outside of what you expect just based on day-to-day life,” Parisi said.Parisi takes on every mountain with a new expedition team. “You end up with strangers,” Parisi said. “Meeting new people and getting to know new people while traveling through a totally different culture or a different place on the planet is super cool.”Bringing trans representation to the Seven Summits has been transformative for Parisi, and has brought mixed emotions.
