On May 18, 2013, Raha Moharrak made history by becoming the first Saudi and youngest Arab woman to summit Mount Everest, beginning her journey of success, while breaking the norm, challenging herself, her society and culture.
Born in Jeddah, the Dubai-based art director graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communications from the American University of Sharjah, before starting a career at a leading advertising agency. From there Raha took a different turn in her career, as her challenges and accomplishments began, and the mountains grew higher, until she achieved the ultimate goal, climbing the world’s biggest mountain.
Raha’s name is synonymous with adventure, as she continuously challenges herself, and consequently her culture. When not climbing mountains on two legs, it’s a challenge on two wheels instead, when last year, Raha learned how to ride a bicycle in order to join Team Shirzanan on a 7-day, 462-mile ride across Iowa, promoting female sports participation as a fundamental right, leading to greater independence and gender equality. The raven-haired mountaineer has also become the face for numerous fashion and beauty projects, recently starring in Burberry’s exclusive Middle East Art of the Trench campaign, together with using her artistic skills to design a limited-edition range of Coca Cola bottles.
Although climbing 8,848 metres may have been the start of the story for this trailblazing woman, her journey of success didn’t stop as she stood at the top of the world, instead the adventurer has strived and succeeded in empowering the next generation of Arab women to follow and achieve their own dreams.
How many mountains have you climbed?
I have completed 14 expeditions. Not all have been summits, with some being hikes and climbs instead.
What inspired you to climb Mount Everest?
I would say that it was not an inspiration, but more of a calling. It was a case of the right thing coming at the right time. I never grew up saying that it was a dream of mine and something that I want to achieve, however I came to discover mountaineering, and loved it. At that point in my life my parents were pushing me towards settling down and finding a husband, however I don’t believe in stopping your life to wait and get married, it should be integrated as part of your life. This was the catalyst for me to decide to do something which would change my families’ mentalities and my own belief in myself. Then one day I heard someone mention Kilimanjaro, and that was when the journey began.
Surely it has all been very physically demanding, did you ever feel like giving up?
No, that is just not a part of the way I am made up, I would never give up. Of course, I sometimes questioned why I was doing it! I would wake up exhausted and hungry, with every part of my body, down to my lashes hurting, smelling like a six-month-old boot. I wouldn’t be able to recognise my own reflection, or who I was, so sometimes I questioned my sanity, but I never felt like giving up. It was my life and I had to continue, and would never want to give up because of something inside. The other factor that drove me was that I was doing something that many people would only be able to dream of.
How did you feel when you reached the summit?
My emotions were like Pandora’s box, I had so many feelings and reactions, but at the top of the list it was disbelief that I felt. I just couldn’t believe that I had achieved this, and so I was there standing on top of the world nearly pinching myself, feeling like I was in a movie. The time I spent at the summit was just short, and for those fourteen minutes or so I was overwhelmed with sheer emotion. That sense of being both very small and very big at that point in time was a daunting realisation. I will always carry that feeling and remind myself of it whenever I doubt myself.
Was it a reflective moment for everything you had achieved in the run up to this ultimate goal?
Yes, but also it set the bar for everything else I wanted to achieve, because now nothing is impossible and I believe that anything is possible. So it wasn’t a time of looking back and being reflective, it made me look forward about what I could achieve next.
How would you define success?
Being happy. There are people who are billionaires and miserable, and others without who are happy, so to be happy with how you live your life, to me is success. I don’t take anything for granted, especially as it is not every day that you can be heard for what you do, which I am very proud of. Although as human beings, I don’t think we ever feel that we have done enough, we always plan and dream ahead, striving to be better.
As the first Saudi woman to climb Mount Everest, a lot of women in the Arab world look up to you. What message do you have for these women?
If a Saudi woman can touch the sky, what makes any of your dreams too far to reach. If I can exist achieving these goals, then I can guarantee to you that others can exist like this too. So, I want others to hear my story and then look at their own dreams and say why not, and understand that anything is possible.
Was it always your goal to give power and strength to the Arab woman and become an icon for female empowerment when you embarked on your first climb up Kilimanjaro?
No, I never thought that I would be an icon in this way. I did feel that we had a void in the market for someone like me, but I never imagined that it could actually be me. The moment I realised that I was this accidental role model was when young girls started to come up to me for advice about their own aspirations and dreams. This happened a few months after I came back from Everest, and the amazing response that I received was overwhelming. However, I also receive negativity about what I have put myself out there doing, including the initial response from my family, but that is also a sign of you being a pioneer. The reality of the situation is that if you don’t have enemies, then you are not making an impact. When the only response you receive is positive, you may be doing something great, but not revolutionary.
How do you compare Kilimanjaro and Everest in terms of hardship and expedition?
The best analogy that I can give, is that it is like the first time you drive a car, and the first time you drive a car in a race. Both are cars, but in one you are inexperienced, whereas in the other you are experienced but it is difficult terrain. Kilimanjaro was my first and a new experience, yet when I came to Everest it was my ninth climb, so although I was experienced, it was still a very difficult mountain to climb.
What have you learned?
I am extremely stubborn, although I would never have admitted it prior to this! I also came to understand that time is only as relative as you make it. If you focus on the negative things then time is slow, whereas feeling positive will make time pass faster. I found this out when I was on the mountain, as ten minutes of laughter is different from ten minutes of tears, so time is what you make of it.
What has been the hardest part of your climbing experiences?
Being away from my comfort zone and family for such a long period of time took its toll. Also, I felt the burden of my family as they had found it hard to let me go, and they were worried about me, which was hard to carry around. Physically it had to be the cold, as growing up in the desert does not make you well equipped for the low temperature.
What has been the most inspiring part?
Seeing all the amazing people who have shared their stories with me.
You recently learnt to ride a bicycle, was this an empowering experience due to the restrictions surrounding it in Saudi Arabia?
In 2013 they lifted the law but it is still not a widely-accepted activity. However, when the opportunity arose for a cycling marathon with a team of Muslim athletes I signed up, naively thinking that I would be able to ride a bike. Prior to the marathon, I spent twenty minutes learning the skill, which meant that although I ended up completing the adventure, the first day took twelve hours, and I spent the whole time clinging onto the handlebars as I couldn’t yet master the balance of the bike. It was an empowering experience for me, as I proved that however old you are, you can always learn something new, and you are not what a stereotype dictates you to be.
Have you always been greeted with positive feedback to all your successful achievements?
No, it has been a hard journey to achieve. Can you imagine any fathers’ reaction when his youngest, unmarried daughter asked to climb the highest mountain in the world, and then consider that he is Saudi. It was a big shock to him. At the start, my family didn’t understand why I wanted to do this, but then they saw my passion, and accepted it.
You have collaborated on fashion and beauty campaigns, this is quite a departure from your climbing, how have your found it?
To be honest, I don’t understand why they chose me, but I am proud to have been included in these collaborations! If you see my social media, I will spend one day in high fashion, and the next day I am in boots and mud, which is a great example of being true to who you are, and not having to choose one side or the other. You can be a combination of athletic, brave, and feminine, which is what I try to embody.
How would you describe your own personal style?
Sometimes I am more fashion over function, yet other times it is the other way around. My rule of thumb would be, if I am above 2000 metres than it is function over fashion, and below that it is all about fashion. I am a chameleon, and adapt depending on my circumstances.
Does your creative side from your graphic design background link with your interest in fashion?
Of course, I have an eye for colour, style, cuts, and patterns. My background in design lends itself to everything, to have a keen eye and be organised. This is key to my climbing, as I always must be extremely organised and well prepared.
Do you feel that fashion is another positive tool for women to convey their personality and independence?
Extremely, as it is very powerful, but it shouldn’t be the sole tool. You shouldn’t define yourself by how you look and dress, as it isn’t the only thing that makes you who you are.
You are currently in the process of writing your memoirs, can you tell us about the book?
It is my story, and is a thank you to my parents for what they have done, as I really feel that they deserve a page in history. Without them I wouldn’t have become who I am and achieved what I have. In essence, it is a story of a Saudi girl who believed she could touch the sky. It goes through the notions of how I started, together with all the backwards and forwards with my family. Yet, it is currently on hold as I want to include a climb that I am planning to accomplish this June, which nearly killed me when I attempted it before.
Was this always something you had aspired to do?
It certainly wasn’t, as I am severely dyslexic, and also very private, so it is nothing I could have imagined I would do. But my father sat me down one day and explained that I should write it down for others to read, as I had changed his mind, and through telling my story I may change other people’s minds.
What is next on your checklist of ambitions?
I have always wanted to go to space. It was my first dream as a child as I love the stars, so I always say that if anyone knows Richard Branson, then please send my CV, as I would go in a heartbeat!
How do you feel the future is looking?
The future is bright, so long as there are people like my mother and father who are aspirational, and the media to keep sharing these stories.
By Eliza Scarborough
Photographer: Vivienne Balla
Hair and Make-up: Marisol Steward
Location: Palazzo Versace
Clothing: By Symphony
