[SatNews] Mount Everest is the mountain, and the crucially-needed communications gear has been selected...

Spanish mountaineer Edurne Pasaban has once again selected Thuraya as her satellite communications partner for her forthcoming expedition to Mount Everest. During her trek up the world’s highest summit, Pasaban will be deploying Thuraya XT and Thuraya IP for weather forecasts, website updates and to stay in touch with family and friends. Having attempted Everest in 2001, Pasaban will be climbing the peak this year without the use of artificial oxygen. She is renowned for being the first woman to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter high summits across the globe.

Pasaban will be relying on Thuraya XT, the world’s toughest satellite handheld for voice communications and the world’s smallest satellite broadband solution, Thuraya IP for data services. “I have decided to undertake this journey with Thuraya solutions again, as my previous experience last year with them while climbing Annapurna was a great success. Communications on such a challenging trip cannot be taken for granted. I am ensuring that I use the most reliable solution, which I believe is what Thuraya’s about,” said Pasaban. In conquering Annapurna, progress and news of her journey was transmitted in real-time to her fans and the media through Thuraya’s data services, available through the Thuraya IP terminal. “The Thuraya IP terminal is the ideal choice for climbing mountains because of its compact size which makes it so easy to store without taking up space in my gear. The user interface of Thuraya IP is so simple that it makes it very easy to use. What fascinated me the most was the Wi-Fi connectivity between the terminal and my laptop which allowed me to stay in my tent in freezing cold conditions while leaving the terminal outside. It was amazing that in spite of the rugged and icy conditions on the mountain, the terminal continued to work perfectly,” said Pasaban.