A Tutukaka woman attempting to become the first New Zealand woman to climb the Seven Summits - and set a speed record in the process - says a Russian rival is jumping on the bandwagon to garner publicity.
Pearl Going, a former publicist, has conquered three peaks in her quest to climb the highest mountains of each of the seven continents in 333 days to set a female speed record for the challenge. But she faces an uphill battle to meet her goal after being injured in a rock fall on Mt Aconcagua and missing an expedition to Everest.
Already, with the help of Cotter's Adventure Consultants, Going has climbed to the summits of Mt Elbrus in Russia, Mt Aconcagua in the Andes and Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
However, Miss Going, 27, has attracted the attention of Russian rival Lyudmila Korobeshko, 37, who is trying to complete seven summits in 300 days.
Going said she was unaware of the Russian climber's bid to race her until reports began surfacing in the media. She understands the Russian's attempt is based on a different list for the seven summits, she said.