The video series on self-confident, inspiring women being portrayed by Marc Cain for the ”Mysterious Women“ campaign, is being continued with Helga Hengge. All the women in the series have different goals and backgrounds, but they have one thing in common: They know what they want and that, driven by passion, they can achieve anything. Helga Hengge is the first German woman to have successfully conquered Mount Everest, that is, the ascent as well as the descent. She is also the first German woman to have been on all “Seven Summits“, the highest summit on every continent. She originally began climbing and mountaineering in 1996 when she was looking to strike a balance to her hectic job as a fashion journalist in New York.

The series of videos and interview took place at the Brauneck-Gipfelhaus at 1,540 m and view over the Karwendel group of mountains. Helga Hengge climbed the mountain for the shots and talked to us about her experiences in high-altitude mountaineering afterwards – in her favourite Marc Cain outfit. The most successful female summit chaser in Germany is a charismatic woman who transfixes listeners. Her stories, which mirror her passion for mountaineering, and which she tells with shining eyes, have a mesmerising effect. You have the feeling of being there yourself and experiencing everything – up close and personal.

Helga Hengge remembers her great fascination with, and pull to Mount Everest, also known as “Mother Goddess of the world“, “Holy Mother Peak“ and “Holy Mother “. The indescribable feeling of being at peace with oneself at that magic moment on the summit with the deep blue of the sky and the glittering snow. The reflective moments are not neglected; the physical and mental challenges of extreme mountaineering that need to be overcome with resolve, enthusiasm, courage and trust in your own strength. The ascent of the highest mountain on the planet (8,848 m) in 1999 took a total of 2 months. This time is needed to get used to the low amount of oxygen in the atmosphere at such staggering heights, as well as adapting to the climatic conditions. The participants of the expedition with Helga Hengge tackled the last stages from the last camp as from midnight, so the summit was reached in the early morning. The stay on the roof of the world lasted a mere one hour and was a lot longer than is customary. It is important to leave the “death zone“ (over 7,500 m) as fast as possible to begin the descent.

Helga Hengge scaled many mountains following Mount Everest. Her real passion is mountains which are far away. That’s why it is not surprising that her favourite adventure was the expedition to Mount Vinson (4,892 m) in Antarctica. Her new goal, which she is now working on, is the ascent of the “Sacred Mountains“, which can be found around the whole world. Helga lives in Munich with her two children, Luca and Marie. She has already written three books and holds inspiration seminars on the topic of Mount Everest.