An Untold Story Of UTA Ibarhimi

Resilience and Perseverance of a Nature Admirer!

The first Albanian woman to summit Everest (8848m) the highest peak on earth. At the peak of the world, she unveiled both Kosovo and Albania’s flags to bring greater awareness for nature, the mountains, and human rights in both COUNTRIES.

Born and raised in Kosovo, she graduated from the Economics Faculty of the University of Prishtina, in the meantime, she cultivated a 12-year career in marketing. For seven out of those years, worked as the Director of Ogilvy|Karrota Marketing Agency, developing marketing campaigns that included major business clients. Apart from other responsibilities she was involved in a variety of human rights-based projects, social campaigns aimed at helping women and children, and for five years contributed to the running of the renowned Documentary Film Festival DokuFest as a marketing manager, event organizer where she also took the role of a Jury Member for choosing the best Green Documentaries on 2017. In 2015, she left Karrota to embark on a new quest as a mountaineer and a guide, having been an active hiker for plenty of time.

Nowadays, she has pursued many tourism projects, including the Via Dinarica Project or the Reel Rock Festival in 2015, which she directed. She was part of GIZ’s Project in Albania for cross-border tourism in the Sharr Mountain. I run my own outdoor tours company in the Balkans, the Butterfly Outdoors Adventure. She run, do hiking and yoga, cycling and climbing tours, and guide smaller hiking trips for children with special needs, being a firm believer that outdoor activities strongly impact people’s physical and emotional wellbeing.

“My ultimate goal now is to expose the true beauties of my country to many people from the entire world”

She has climbed Everest (8,848m), Manasulu (8,163m), Cho Oyu (8201), Lhotse (8516m), Gasherburum (8080m) and Annapurna 1 (8091m) thus making me officially the first woman from the Balkans to summit 6X8000 meter peaks. Musala 2,925m (Bulgaria), Olimp 2,918m (Greece), Ercyes 3,916m (Turkey), Mount Hasan 3,200m (Turkey), Emler 3,500m (Turkey), Mont Blanc 4,880m (France), Monch 4107 (Swiss), Mount Rainer 4392m (USA), Lenin Peak 7134m, Ararat 5137m, Yalung Peak 5,700m, Nurbu Peak 5,800m, Ramdung Peak 5,925m, Labuche 6119, Island 6189m, Ama Dablam 6812m – all of them on Himalayas. She was also part of the ‘National Geographic Team’ to summit Lhotse South Face in 2019 – reaching 7.800m. Her aim is to climb the remaining nine of the total fourteen world peaks, higher than 8000 meters while campaigning in a multitude of other forms to spread messages of determination, stamina and positivity to people.

EXPEDITIONS

"Once you set your mind to something, once you let that will flow through you consistently- you move mountains.”

The process between setting a goal and reaching it is full of challenges, exhilaration, frustration and just a bunch of other mixed emotions. So are expeditions, and such is life. The most important thing is to accept all that is served throughout the journey with determination and patience.

Expeditions make us thrive, see life differently and widen our horizon. So Uta Ibrahimi learned to accept the passage of life in a wiser way and took it easy with the things she once took for granted.

UTALAYA FOUNDATION

Utalaya Foundation is looking to build fruitful corporations and be part of projects that seek to bring positive changes in society. Uta is often contacted to be a spokesperson, image and brand ambassador for private and public sector, non-governmental organizations or businesses which support causes that revolve around the foundation’s ethos.

So, if your project is directly or indirectly related to health and wellbeing, education, sports and outdoor activities, equality, greenpeace, charity or motivational speaking, awareness campaigns etc, then this foundation is your stepping stone.

ECOFEST BROUGHT SCHOOL KIDS CLOSER TO NATURE

The EcoFest, a celebration of environmental conservation and education, was kicked-off in a memorable and impactful way with the participation of students from two primary schools in Prishtina – “Qamil Batalli” and “Gjergj Fishta”. Led by the renowned alpinist Uta Ibrahimi, the enthusiastic group embarked on a scenic hike from the Gërmia National Park to the Bear Sanctuary, a journey through a lush forested area with the possibility of spotting local wildlife.

As they walked, they discussed various ways to protect and preserve the natural environment, exchanging ideas and opinions with one another. This educational aspect of the hike added an enriching layer to the experience, making it a highly interactive and immersive one. Overall, the EcoFest kick-off event was a resounding success, combining education, conservation, and hands-on activities to create a memorable and enriching experience for the students involved. It is sure to leave a lasting impact on their understanding and appreciation of the natural world. EcoFest aims to educate and engage primary school children to exercise environmentalist practices through fun with sports, activities and games practiced in nature.

WAY TO GO, YOUNGSTERS!

After months of preparations and coordination with their partner/donor, UNMIK, they finally lifted the lid on one of their most exciting projects so far, titled simply “Way to Go!”. The main protagonists in this expedition were youngsters (15-19 year olds) from mostly rural upbringing, that belong to one of the many local ethnic communities (Roma, Ashkali, Serb, Egyptian, Turk, Bosniak, Albanian, and Gorani), who would come together through various outdoor activities such as biking, running, camping, and many more.

Biked in the rain in Germia Park in Prishtina. To mark World Children’s Day, they rode bikes in the wet trails of Germia Park, Prishtina, led by the alpinist Uta Ibrahimi. She guided the group of youngsters from mostly minority communities around Germia in bikes. 

Ran on the “Health trail” surrounded by mountains, in Peja. Headed over to “Anibar” cinema, where the youngsters met and talked, as they prepared for a short run led by the alpinist Uta Ibrahimi. Once they were all warmed up and ready, they moved out on the “Health trail” – a short trail around the Anibar Cinema. It is incredible to see such a diverse group run and laugh together.

TOGETHER IN NATURE

The “Together in Nature” project is for children with special needs, providing outdoor recreation and encouraging their physical and mental development. Through this project, they aim to raise awareness of the importance of equal treatment and provide suitable conditions for their growth, encouraging participation in sports and environmental protection. The project creates memories for children with Autism and Down Syndrome. For the children participating in the project, outdoor activities offer the promotion of communication, emotions, cognition, interaction and physical activity.

Outdoor activities influence them to acquire new motor skills, including coordination, balance, and encourage language and cooperative skills among them. Also, outdoor activities improve their awareness, reasoning and observational skills. Spending time outdoors reduces stress and stimulates social interaction among children, while outdoor play provides opportunities for children to experience the real world. The teachers and accompanying family members of the children participating in the “Together in Nature” project were very pleased and enthusiastic, explaining with the nature walk and visiting the bears influenced the growth of mental abilities, interactivity with nature and the expression of emotions of their children/students.

CREATING MEMORIES IN NATURE WITH AUTISTIC & DOWN SYNDROME KIDS

Municipality of Prishtina and Uta Ibrahimi together with Utalaya Foundation started the year with a project which offered these children the possibility to be engaged with sports and recreational activities. Utalaya Foundation is always seeking healthy ways to engage and help the overall development of children and especially those with different abilities. The activity was conducted by Utalaya Foundation staff including children, parents, and caregivers of Down Syndrome Kosovo. The main activities were: Hiking with guide Uta Ibrahimi; Visit at the Bear Sanctuary Park and an interactive presentation of the process of rescuing and sheltering bears in Bear Sanctuary Prishtina by their dedicated and positive team; Puzzle game with most characteristic animals and plants of our region about presented by ecologist Erlinda Sallauka; as well as Yoga by our instructor Driada Matoshi.

In addition to walking around the sanctuary and visiting the funny maneuvers of the sheltered bears, their speech therapist conducted an activity with photo-sequences, giving children instructions about body parts and how to wear clothes without parental help, an activity highly important for children with Autism, who often struggle with getting dressed on their own.

Further, with the architect and painter taught children learned about drawing techniques and expressed themselves with painting and colors. Finally, with the ecologist, the children completed puzzles with the most specific animals and plants of our region, matching the body parts and learning about the behaviors of these species. Children, parents, care-givers were so thankful for all the valuable lessons and moments earned.

UTA AND THE MOUNTAINS

Women like Uta Ibrahimi are the ones who actually breaking stereotypes and they challenge traditional gender roles and conventional mindset by practicing in a physically demanding and historically male dominated activity, proving that determination and skill are not gender specific.

Mountaineering demands mental and physical resilience. She has shown incredible determination, often facing extreme weather, altitude, and physical challenges, which can inspire us to overcome obstacles in our lives. Her love for the mountains leads her to a commitment to protect these fragile ecosystems, inspiring us to be better stewards of our planet. Through her achievements, stirring an uplift in young blood to pursue their passions and believe in their abilities. She has showed with magnificent dedication and effort where anyone can reach these heights.