Remember Clara Sumarwati: Indonesia's First Climber To Conquer Everest

Clara Sumarwati, Indonesia's first climber as well as Southeast Asia's first woman to conquer Mount Everest.

YOGYAKARTA - Sad news enveloped Indonesia's climbing world. On Thursday, October 2, Clara Sumarwati, the figure of a tough woman who was listed as the first Indonesian climber to successfully conquer Mount Everest, died in Yogyakarta.

Clara Sumarwati died at the age of 60 after battling diabetes for the past year. The plan is that Clara's body will be buried at Sidikan Cemetery, Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta, today, Friday, October 3, 2025, after the blessing procession at 11.00 WIB.

Clara Sumarwati leaves a trace of achievement that will never disappear from the public's memory. She is a real example of the persistence and determination of an Indonesian woman who dares to challenge the boundaries. Her legacy of enthusiasm will continue to live, even though her body has now passed away.

Clara Sumarwati was born in Yogyakarta on July 6, 1967. She is the sixth of eight children from the couple Marcus Mariun and Ana Suwarti.

Clara studied at Atmajaya University in Yogyakarta and graduated in 1990. Her love for the world of climbing has emerged since college, especially after being active in the Student Regiment (Menwa).

The beginning of Clara's climbing work was marked by her success in conquering Annapurna IV in Nepal in 1991. Two years later, she again showed her toughness by reaching the Aconcagua peak in the Andes Mountains, South America. Both achievements became a stepping stone to her biggest dream of conquering Everest.

In 1994, Clara had tried to climb Mount Everest, but was only able to penetrate a height of 7,000 meters. That failure did not make him give up, but further solidified his determination. He continues to struggle to seek support and sponsorship to realize his goal of embedding the Red and White at the top of the world.

The opportunity came in 1995 when the Indonesian government through the Gold Anniversary Committee Independence was willing to support Clara's expedition. After various long preparations, Clara finally left for Nepal in July 1996. On September 26, 1996, history was created, Clara managed to reach the peak of Everest as high as 8,848 meters above sea level.

This achievement named Clara as the first person in Indonesia as well as the first woman in Southeast Asia to conquer Everest. Unfortunately, Clara's journey had drawn controversy because there were parties who doubted her climbing claim. In fact, evidence of the official records of the Everest Summitiers Association confirmed Clara's success.

The fact that his name is listed on the official list of Everest climbers proves his extraordinary achievements, Clara Sumarwati. Clara's success was later followed by other Indonesian climbers, namely Asmujiono and Misirin in 1997.

The legacy of Clara Sumarwati's struggle is not only about the success of conquering the highest mountain in the world, but also about the courage to dream big. He proved that an Indonesian woman was able to make history on the world stage.

The spirit will continue to inspire the younger generation, especially women, not to be afraid to face challenges. Goodbye, Clara Sumarwati. Your struggle to carve gold traces in the history of the nation and your inspiration will always burn in the hearts of Indonesian climbers and nature lovers.