Sophie Lavaud

Sophie Lavaud (born 15 May 1968 in Lausanne) is a French-Canadian-Swiss mountaineer and entrepreneur. In June 2023, she became the sixth woman, the first French person, the first Canadian, and the first Swiss woman (second Swiss overall, after Erhard Loretan), to summit all 14 peaks of over 8,000 meters in elevation (eight-thousanders) and being 48th overall.

As of March 2026, Lavaud is the only Canadian to have ever summitted all 14 eight-thousanders.

Early life

Sophie Lavaud was born on 15 May 1968 in Lausanne, Switzerland to French-Canadian parents.

Between 1986 and 1989, she studied at a business school in Lyon, before going to Milan.

Mountaineering career In 2004, being offered a friendly challenge, Lavaud climbed the highest mountain in the Alps and discovered her passion for mountaineering, even though "nothing had really prepared her for it." She later recalled her experience in the 2016 film "K2, Une journée particulière".

In July 2018, after a 2-year delay due to an avalanche, she successfully summited the K2, becoming the first Swiss woman to do so.

In May 2022, she reached the Lhotse , the 4th tallest mountain in the world. A month later, she intended to attempt the Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, though this was never made until a year later.

On 1 October 2022, she summited the Manaslu , and later re-summited Shishapangma to the true summit in April 2023.

On 23 June 2023, Lavaud summited the Nanga Parbat, completing all 14 eight-thousanders, and becoming the first French person, first Canadian, and first Swiss woman to do so. As a result, she was awarded the Ordre national du Mérite by the French government on 23 May 2024.

Timeline of eight-thousander summits

Shishapangma (foresummit, 8013 m), 14th tallest mountain, 11 May 2012 Cho Oyu (8188 m), 6th tallest mountain, 25 May 2012 Everest, tallest mountain, 25 May 2014 Gasherbrum II (8035 m), 13th tallest mountain, 16 July 2015 Makalu (8485 m), 5th tallest mountain, 25 May 2016 Broad Peak (8051 m), 12th tallest mountain, 11 July 2017 K2 (8611 m), 2nd tallest mountain, 21 July 2018 Annapurna I (8091 m), 10th tallest mountain, 23 April 2019 Kangchenjunga (8586 m), 3rd tallest mountain, 15 May 2019 Gasherbrum I (8068 m), 11th tallest mountain, 12 July 2019 Dhaulagiri (8167 m, Nepal), 7th tallest mountain, 1 October 2021 Lhotse (8516 m), 4th tallest mountain, 14 May 2022 Manaslu, (8163 m), 8th tallest mountain, 1 October 2022