Taiwanese mountain climbing sensation Grace Tseng summited the world''s 3rd highest peak, Mount Kangchenjunga, on Oct. 16. Her 8,586-meter climb marked several firsts. One of them is that Tseng is the first Taiwanese climber to make the summit. She''s also the first woman to complete a winter ascent. Let''s hear what she had to say.

Grace Tseng
Mountaineer
Of the five 8,000-meter ascents I’ve done up till now, I felt this one to be the most challenging. There were boulders several times my size and for each I had only the strength of my own arms to lift up my whole body. Add to that the thick and heavy clothing, and the level of difficulty was quite high. The timing of this climb is also on the cusp of winter and so the temperature was even lower. Even though I slept in a tent, I woke up every day with my body covered in a thin layer of frost. The best part is that when I made the summit the weather was glorious, no wind and no snow.

The 28-year-old mountaineer has climbed more 8,000-meter peaks than any Taiwanese woman. Previously, she had conquered the world''s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, as well as the 4th, 7th and 8th tallest peaks in the span of just two years. Now she has her sights set on being the youngest woman to summit all 14 of the world''s eight-thousanders.