Margarita Moreno is one of the few who can boast of climbing the world's 'Seven Summits.' In 2025, the Colombian mountaineer managed to climb two of the highest mountains on the planet, Everest and Lhotse, being one of the few women to achieve this. With these first lines about her story, we could say that Moreno does not have the word "impossible" in her vocabulary.
In fact, she is the first Colombian woman to complete the 'Seven Summits' challenge, meaning she has climbed the highest mountains on each continent: Aconcagua (South America), Denali (North America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Elbrus (Europe), Vinson (Antarctica), Kosciuszko (Oceania), and Everest (Asia).
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Margarita is an industrial designer whose love for the mountains goes far beyond her profession. Eight years ago, during a trip to the Himalayas, she fell in love with the peaks and began pursuing mountaineering, specifically, the challenge of completing the 'Seven Summits.'
"Dreaming big is allowed, and if you work on your dreams, they come true."
The adventure of the 'Seven Summits' began on October 18, 2017, when she reached the top of Kilimanjaro in Africa. Two years later, Margarita climbed Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, located in Russia. In January 2020, she summited Aconcagua in the Andes. In December 2022, she climbed Mount Vinson in Antarctica, and on March 8, she reached the summit of Kosciuszko in Australia. Finally, in May 2025, she stood on the peak of Everest, completing the challenge she had set for herself more than eight years earlier.
Everest is known for its extreme conditions, with subzero temperatures and scarce oxygen. Margarita's ascent became a physical and emotional challenge, as danger was present at every step. Statistics published on the British site Everest Mountain indicate that at least nine deaths occurred during the 2024 season while climbers were ascending or descending the mountain, meaning that not even the best training or highest-tech equipment can guarantee a mountaineer's safe return.
In this context, Moreno reached the summit of Everest on May 24, 2025, at exactly 5:23 a.m. From the heights, the Bogotana displayed the tricolor flag of Colombia. On her social media, she shared a post dedicating this victory to her country, which she referred to as "the most beautiful in the world."
The next day, Moreno conquered the summit of Lhotse, the fourth-highest mountain in the world, achieving a double accomplishment in a single expedition in less than 28 hours. "I had every reason to give up, but I couldn't. Lhotse pushed me, took me to mental places farther than Everest itself," she wrote in a post on her social media, where she can be seen at the very top of Lhotse, located in the Himalayan range.
"The mountain has been the greatest and most important teacher in my life, as it transforms you. One goes up as one person and comes down as another."
In addition to her extensive record of conquered summits, Margarita has led expeditions to the North Pole and the South Pole. As if that weren't enough, she is an avid runner, participating in the Abbott World Marathon Majors, the six most prestigious marathons in the world: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York.
On her more personal side, Margarita is married to German DJ Paul Van Dyk. They were married in 2017 in Cartagena, Colombia, and have since formed a stable couple who support each other in fulfilling their dreams, whether on the mountains or at the turntables.