His career is enviable, having climbed great mountains such as Shishapangma, K2, Manaslu and Everest. He is now on his way to summit Dhaulagiri and has kindly taken the time to answer some questions for us in the middle of his expedition. I hope you find it interesting...
Yumping.- First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions in the middle of your Dhaulagiri expedition. Carlos, you've spent your whole life in the mountains, as the mountaineering bug bit you when you were just 14. How do you remember your first time climbing in the Sierra de Guadarrama?
Thank you for taking an interest in me and the expedition. When I first went to the Sierra de Guadarrama, I discovered that being outdoors, in nature, was what I loved. It was an incredible experience, as I went with my friend Antonio Riaño, with just a lorry tarpaulin to make a tent, and not much else. But it made me realise that this was what I loved doing.
Y.- From then on, you decided you wanted to dedicate yourself to this tough but rewarding profession. What did your family and friends think when you told them, "I'm off to Russia, to join the first Spanish expedition to climb Mount Elbrus"?
Actually, mountaineering isn't my profession, nor has it ever been. I've worked all my life, since I was 11, first as a bookbinder and then as an upholsterer, until I retired. But I've always said that if you love what you do, you make time for everything. My family and friends have always supported my dedication to mountaineering, and for many years they've accompanied me, including my wife and daughters.
Y.- Your entire professional career has been linked to mountaineering, and you've summited several peaks: Shishapangma, K2, Manaslu... and on many of them you've done it alone, with only your sherpas for company. What was the experience like during those years?
Well, I haven't always been alone. At the start, I was part of the first Spanish expeditions to the great mountains. Then, when I started climbing eight-thousanders, already at a certain age, it's true that I was less accompanied. But that's fine. There have always been people in the mountains with whom you share expedition permits, or a cook... In reality, even though when it comes down to it you have to climb under your own steam, you meet a lot of people in the mountains, and you make good friends.
Y.- Since last year, you've had the support of BBVA as the main sponsor of your challenge "I Climb with Carlos Soria", as you're now the only mountaineer to have climbed 11 eight-thousanders over the age of 60, and you're aiming to complete all 14. What has their sponsorship brought you, and how does it differ from previous expeditions?
The big difference is that now I have my own expedition, and I have resources I didn't have before. For example, I can come to the mountain with more climbers who come with me, with a doctor... There's a big difference because I also notice that now many more people follow me, and what we do has more impact, but that's good for people to get to know a sport as beautiful as this one better.
Y.- In the end, you weren't able to summit Dhaulagiri due to the weather, as you communicated on your website. Perhaps thanks to BBVA you've become more high-profile and now reach thousands of followers, who show their support almost daily. We assume that apart from your family and friends, they're an important pillar for you at this time, right?
Family and friends are always important. It's clear that if my family hadn't supported me so much over so many years, I wouldn't have been able to dedicate so much time to the mountains as I have throughout my life. As for the followers, the support they send us every day through their messages is incredible.
Y.- You've already covered more than half the journey, but this is the fifth time you've tried and you were just 500 metres from the summit. How are your spirits and physical condition at the moment?
Physically, we're doing very well, we're already recovering from the effort of the summit attempt, which was really tough. We were quite close to the summit, but in the end the wind and bad weather stopped us from going beyond Camp 3, at about 7,600 metres. But that's fine, I hope we'll get another chance in a few days. We're as motivated as when we arrived at base camp at the start of September.
Y.- Throughout your career, which mountain do you remember most fondly?
Without a doubt, it's Mount Manaslu. I first tried it in 1973, on the first Spanish expedition to the Himalayas. And I managed to reach its summit 37 years later, so it's easy to imagine how fond I am of it. Plus, at the foot of Manaslu is the village of Sama, a small town where I'm developing a solidarity project with BBVA to help the 100 children who go to school there, living in very difficult conditions.
Y.- And what was the worst moment? That time when you thought, "I can't go on any more" and decided to go home?
It happened on Dhaulagiri, the mountain we're on now. Several years ago, after an unsuccessful summit attempt, my friend Pepe Garcés died descending to Camp 3, during the traverse before reaching the summit. Without a doubt, it's the worst memory I have.
Y.- What drives a mountaineer to embark on an adventure like this? You go through so many hardships up there – what motivates you to undertake each expedition?
You face difficulties, there are moments that are very tough... but the mountain is where I love to be, and it's not just about hardship. It might seem like those of us who do this want to seem like supermen, but that's not the case. The mountain is life, it's beauty, its landscapes, its people, walking, training... Most of the time, it's an amazing place.
Y.- You're becoming a role model for thousands of people around the world. What would you say to those who'd like to follow in your footsteps?
Simply to do what they love. And whatever they do, to do it because they love it, as far as possible. And that retirement age is fantastic, and you should try to reach it in the best possible physical, mental and financial condition.
Y.- At 73 years old, we can see that, as the saying goes, "you're as fit as a fiddle". What advice would you give to those who, after retiring, don't do sport because they think they're too old?
Age is absolutely no barrier to anything. Or almost anything. Health is. But not age. So I recommend doing something every day, even if it's just a walk around the house. And if it can be through a forest, or somewhere surrounded by nature, even better.
Y.- At Yumping, we support adventure sports. Have you practised any apart from mountaineering?
I really like and still practise climbing, both rock and ice. I no longer have the agility for very difficult routes, but I still do everything I can. And I also really enjoy cross-country skiing; I think it's great training for me, especially for my knees, which at my age are a bit worse for wear.
Y.- What hobbies do you have apart from the mountains?
Apart from climbing and cross-country skiing, I really like cycling, both mountain and road, though I do road cycling much more, as it's great training for me.
Y.- Do you have any unfinished business?
The truth is I'm very satisfied with the life I've led and continue to lead, both personally and professionally and in sport. And now what I'd most like is to finish my project of climbing all 14 eight-thousanders.
