At 5,895 metres, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak, but for some Egyptian women, reaching its summit was less of a finish line and more of a “well, what’s next?” moment. From marathoners and mountaineers to an actress and a 60-year-old first-time climber, these women have taken on the Roof of Africa — and, in some cases, mountains much higher.
Manal Rostom
Manal Rostom is one of Egypt’s best-known female marathoners and mountaineers, with a long list of firsts for Egyptian and Arab women.
She started her Seven Summits project in 2012 with Kilimanjaro, before taking on Mount Elbrus in Russia, Mont Blanc in France in 2018, Mount Everest in Nepal in 2022 and Mount Kosciuszko in Australia in 2023.
For Rostom, climbing has always been about more than collecting summits. Her journey has also been about pushing back against the idea that certain sports and adventures aren’t “for women.”
Mariz Doss
Mariz Doss was already juggling a 9-to-5 with marathon training when a friend’s Kilimanjaro climb inspired her to try it herself.
She reached the summit on October 31, 2018, and quickly caught the mountain bug. Since then, she has taken on Everest Base Camp, Ama Dablam and Annapurna Base Camp, as well as four technical summits in the Alps in 2022: Punta Gnifetti, Piramide Vincent, Aiguille de Marbrees and Aiguille de Toule.
Then, because apparently mountains weren’t enough, Doss became a Guinness World Record holder in 2025 after completing the Boston and London Marathons just five days apart.
Rawya Abdullah
For Rawya Abdullah, Kilimanjaro was where the obsession began. She reached its summit in 2018, before moving on to Aconcagua in Argentina and Chimborazo in Ecuador.
Her biggest achievement came on July 22, 2025, when she reached the 8,080-metre summit of Gasherbrum I, raising the Egyptian flag and becoming the first Egyptian woman to summit the peak.
Gasherbrum I is one of the world’s toughest 8,000-metre mountains, making the jump from Kilimanjaro to this summit pretty serious.
The Kiligyptian Women
In August 2024, eight Egyptian women aged 30 to 60 set out to climb Kilimanjaro: Alexandra Kinias, Cherry El-Olemy, Dalia Tallawy, Dina Gamal Eldin, Jomana Ismail, Ninette Said, Safa Nazee and Amany Khalil.
The trip was sparked by Kinias, who had dreamed of climbing Kilimanjaro since childhood and decided to finally do it for her 60th birthday. The group’s bigger goal was to challenge the idea that age should dictate what women can do.
Six women reached the summit, while two stopped around 700 metres short.
For Kinias, it was her first mountain, and one of the toughest things she had ever done. The final push lasted 10 hours, testing her physically and mentally, but turning back was never an option.
Asmaa Galal: Taking It to the Top
In 2026, Egyptian actress Asmaa Galal traded the red carpet for a very different kind of climb, reaching Uhuru Peak on Mount Kilimanjaro after an eight-day trek.
She climbed all 5,895 metres to Africa’s highest point and raised the Egyptian flag at the summit, adding her name to the growing list of Egyptian women who have conquered the mountain.
The Roof of Africa Is Just the Beginning
What connects these women isn’t one particular background, age or reason for climbing. It’s the decision to look at a 5,895-metre mountain and think, yeah, let’s do that.
For some, Kilimanjaro was the challenge. For others, it was the beginning of Everest, the Alps, the Himalayas or an 8,000-metre giant. Either way, they’re proving that there’s no “right” age, career or starting point for finding your next mountain.
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