Safia Hosein follows her yellow brick road to Seven Summits

While some might be stuck on the pronunciation of the famous Seven Summits, Safia Hosein, a 41-year-old private-plane and helicopter pilot from Trinidad and Tobago, actually braves them, defying the odds, overcoming adversity, and shattering antiquated prejudices in the process.

Even though Hosein says she doesn’t necessarily intend to try to conquer the highest mountain peak on every continent, she has already made headway into doing so, becoming one of an elite group to reach the top of the Vinson Massif – Antarctica’s highest peak, at 4,892 metres.

Expeditions to Vinson have been successfully completed by only about 1,200 people, fewer than any other of the Seven Summits, owing to its isolation, costly logistics, and the intense weather conditions.

The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, with variations according to the source. They often include Aconcagua (Argentina, South America), Denali (US, North America), Mount Everest (Nepal/China, Asia), Eibrus (Europe), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, Africa), Kosciuszko (Australia), Vinson, and an eighth, Puncak Jaya (New Guinea) – the highest mountain peak on an island on earth.

Hosein and her guide took four days before she finally reached the summit on Christmas Day.

She was scheduled to arrive in Antarctica on December 18, but got there a day later because of poor weather.

Speaking with WMN from Antarctica, where she experienced frequent problems with connectivity, Hosein said it was just a minor delay in a plan made long ago.

“I'd actually been planning to climb Vinson for two years. I was supposed to come last year, but I received a job offer I was really excited about.”

She was also excited to scratch Vinson off her bucket list. She did so with a message on her Facebook page, saying, “It doesn’t matter where I am on the planet, I will always be a Biche girl.”

What she didn’t relay was her relief that the adventure was over. Hosein said it was the challenge she expected – and a bit more.

“A lot of people, when they finish something challenging, decide not to disclose exactly how difficult the process was. (But) even the men in my group agreed that nothing we had read or seen prepared us for what we encountered.

“I always try to be upfront and honest about any of my experiences so someone coming after me can learn from it.”

Conditions are usually favourable for travellers to Antarctica in December, but the blinding effects of round-the-clock sunlight against the snow meant she needed to keep her sunglasses on constantly.

Asked what went through her mind as she reached the summit, she said the day itself had been difficult.

“There was a possibility of not reaching the summit because of high winds, which is a huge no-no due to the risk of frostbite.

“My guide then fell ill and I had to switch to another guide…But he was amazing.”

Normally she listens to music with headphones during a difficult climb, but the weather was too harsh on this occasion.

She said she and her guide were attached to each other by their harnesses and rope.

“I just stared at the rope dragging on the ground. It was orange, and my brain equated it to the ‘yellow brick road.’ (From The Wizard of Oz.)

"In my head I kept saying, ‘Follow the yellow brick road.’

“I turned a corner and saw the summit in the distance and thought, ‘It's still so far.’

“It’s quite a treacherous climb on the final path to the summit, so I was just concentrating on not falling.”

Eventually they reached the summit.

“(But it) was so cold we couldn’t stay long.

“I'm now beginning to process exactly what I've achieved,” she told WMN.

Yet Mt Vinson, as exhilarating the challenge, doesn’t rank among her most thrilling adventures.

“My two favourites are summiting volcanoes in Guatemala (Vulcan de Fuego) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Nyiragongo), and watching lava spew from the earth's core."

She said she has always had an interest in volcanoes and the formation of mountains as a geography student."

“Vinson was more of a challenge than those, but it showed me that if I follow my yellow brick road, I can do anything.”

Last year, Hosein reached the base of Mt Everest, guided by well-known and respected Nepali hiker and guide Pasang Dawa Sherpa, who had summited Everest at least two dozen times as of 2022.

"I've always wanted to visit Antarctica. It was a bonus for me to mix mountains, travel and geography in one trip."

She has also scaled Kilimanjaro.

Scaling the balance of the Seven Summits, she said, is on her bucket list. "But if I don't complete this goal, I won't be bothered. Mountaineering is tough and expensive."

Hosein has visited over 70 countries in her adulthood, appreciating their nature, and never failing to take up a challenge.

Although she has not summitted every attempted climb, her recent feats are particularly special, if not inspiring, taking into account her bouts with illness, starting in 2019, which led to a series of major operations and an arduous recovery. She has barely slowed down since being cleared by doctors to continue challenging nature.

Meditation has helped, she said.

"I meditate to clear my mind of the day's frustrations. I love the black canvas I end up with after I've closed my eyes and kicked all thoughts out my mind."

She also keeps a journal, which she describes as a form of meditation.

"I jot down my goals, my fears, my annoyances, my feelings," making them easier to prioritise.

Hosein still shares hints of a personality quirks, concerning a persistent restlessness and mixed with some stubbornness.

"I have no idea where my motivations come from. I read of hear something and decide I want to do it. I don't believe in living a life where regrets weigh heavily.

"When I set my mind to something, it's very hard to persuade me to deviate from the course. My dad used to say that's because I'm a Taurus and stubborn.

"It doesn't mean there aren't setbacks but I always try to learn from my mistakes, however humbling they may be. This applies to my career in aviation and mountaineering. In the past I've felt like an outsider in both fields but never allowed that to stop me from kindling the fire that burns inside me."

Hosein accomplishments were recognised on International Women’s Day in March last year by Mayaro MP Rushton Paray for her contribution to aviation, “breaking barriers, and inspiring women to pursue their dream.” Her mother Cinty Hosein received the award on her behalf.

Of all the reasons to be proud, Hosein frequently beams about her home, Trinidad. She has travelled the world, sometimes for prolonged periods for work, but says she’s never grown an attachment to any country other than that of her birth, where she visits annually.

Hosein, currently in Argentina on her latest endless stop, said, “Home will always be Trinidad. I live and work overseas, but there's no connection to my heart.”