Young Emirati adventurer scales new heights in preparation for quest to Mount Everest, with the support of DarkMatter

Inspiring mountaineer, Danah Al Ali celebrates the end of an incredible journey to Chamonix, the Alps 

Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE, 20 September, 2016:  DarkMatter, an international cyber security firm headquartered in the UAE, recently sponsored a young Emirati adventurer and mountain climber to train in the French Alps, ahead of her making a bold attempt to conquer the formidable Mount Everest in 2017. 

Danah Al Ali's inspirational journey, which is highly admired by DarkMatter given the overarching themes of sacrifice, determination, and an intrepid sense of exploration and adventure, saw her recently complete technical mountaineering training in Chamonix, the highest summit in the Alps. During her expedition, Al Ali gained technical experience in walking in crampons on glaciers, snow and rocks; use of ice-axes, and gained invaluable rock-climbing experience. She was also exposed to safety instructions in preparation for her planned journey to Everest.

Faisal Al Bannai, DarkMatter Chief Executive Officer commented, “We are moved by Danah Al Ali and her passion for trekking and pushing boundaries. Being bold, passionate, and meticulous in preparation are values that resonate with DarkMatter, and we congratulate her on this latest accomplishment and wish her every success in her future pursuit to scale Mount Everest.”

Al Ali's impressive training course is not the first time she has been held up as a national role model, given her previous impressive physical endeavours. These have included scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895m; climbing Mount Elbrus, part of the Caucasus Mountains in Southern Russia and the highest peak in Europe at 5,642m; and reaching Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal at 5,335m.

Al Ali's interest in trekking and mountain climbing was first fully realised in 2013, when with the support of her family, she trained for her first expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Looking to fully maximise this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Al Ali also used her adventure in Africa to fund-raise for a family through the Red Crescent. 

In 2014, Al Ali was part of a technical mountaineering course in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, a resort area near the intersection of France, Switzerland and Italy, while last year she hiked up Mount Elbrus.