At the end of their cycling trip through India, the couple escaped to the Western Himalaya and the Karakoram for the summer months, where they were introduced to high-altitude climbing.
Ao finalizar a súa viaxe en bicicleta pola India, a parella viaxou ata o Himalaia occidental e ata Karakorum durante os meses do verán, onde comezaron a realizar alpinismo de grande altitude.