Why I Climb.
ASH TO ALTITUDE
I climb to redefine what’s possible — for myself, for women, and for the next generation.
Nicole Otake climbs to remind the world that exploration belongs to all of us — to women, people of color, and anyone who’s ever been told they don’t belong. As the mountaineer behind Ash to Altitude, she’s undertaking a global expedition to complete the Seven Summits, Seven Volcanic Summits, and Seven Lowest Points, using every climb to challenge exclusion, honor the planet, and expand what’s possible.
The Story
Nicole didn’t find the mountains — the mountains found her.
She was born in a small Connecticut town, the first in her family to be born on the mainland. Difference marked her early — in her skin, her eyes, and the way she saw the world. In a country that measures worth by productivity and possessions, she learned to blend in, to chase what everyone else seemed to want — until stillness caught her off guard.
That stillness came on a trail in Montana. In Glacier National Park, she witnessed a man fall to his death — a single, irreversible moment that shattered the illusion of control. The mountains were not an escape; they were a mirror. They demanded reverence, not conquest. Within that silence, she felt something awaken — an understanding that the world doesn’t owe us permanence, but it offers presence.
She bought her first backpack that week. She never looked back.
She came to mountaineering late — climbing Kilimanjaro in 2023, vomiting her way toward the summit. Instead of quitting, she chose to listen. To the breath. The fatigue. The earth beneath her feet. She trained harder, but with humility — trading ambition for awareness. Two years later, she and her husband, Rocco, summited Aconcagua and Ojos del Salado back-to-back, unguided.
Today, they live full-time in a solar-powered van — a home stripped to essentials. No walls, no excess, no static. They move with the seasons, draw power from the sun, collect water where they can. Life is simple, deliberate, and honest — a quiet rebellion against consumerism’s endless hunger.
For Nicole, climbing has never been about conquering mountains. It’s about dissolving into them — peeling away everything unnecessary until only awareness remains. She climbs not to rise above the world, but to return to it. To remind others — especially women and people of color — that strength doesn’t come from owning more, but from needing less.
Every summit is an act of reverence. Every descent, a return to stillness.
The Mission
Nicole doesn’t climb to conquer — she climbs to represent, to empower, and to protect.
Representation: As a biracial woman of Japanese heritage, she climbs to make presence visible where it has long been absent — on the world’s highest, loneliest peaks. Her ascent is not for glory but for visibility, carrying those who’ve never been invited to the summit.
Empowerment: Through mentorship, storytelling, and shared stillness, she helps others take on the mountains in their own lives — reminding them that courage begins not with strength, but with belief. Her work in the outdoor community centers women and people of color, showing that belonging is not granted — it’s reclaimed.
Sustainability: Nicole’s life is an act of alignment. She and her husband, Rocco, live full-time in a solar-powered van, moving with the seasons, conserving water, and leaving as little trace as possible. Their existence is a quiet resistance to a culture of consumption — a return to what is essential, to what endures.
Nicole is one climb away from completing the Volcanic Seven Summits, a challenge achieved by only thirteen women in history. Beyond that, she is pursuing the even rarer feat of finishing both the Volcanic Seven Summits and the Seven Summits — a milestone reached by only two women ever. Alongside these, she is attempting the Seven Lowest Points, a challenge no person in history has yet completed.
This journey isn’t about fame or records. It’s about changing what’s possible — proving that representation, sustainability, and strength can coexist on the world’s harshest peaks. It’s about showing that adventure doesn’t belong to the elite — it belongs to anyone willing to try.
Nicole climbs for everyone who’s ever felt unseen. For the women and people of color who were told the mountains weren’t meant for them. For the communities who value connection over consumption, and courage over comfort.
She climbs in crampons that shatter glass ceilings — bringing others up every time she rises.
Because even if the summit is an illusion, the impact isn’t.
