SCHANIELA “Ella” MARY WRIGHT

Mountain Guide, Mt Biking Guide, Kayaking and rock climbing instructor.

I started professionally in the outdoors when I was 20 years old, before that I played professional sport in hockey, water polo and athletics. Academics was never my strong point which is why I needed a little help with my bio, so please forgive me if it sounds informal but I hope it gives you enough interest to ask me further questions.

So in 2 and a half years I have done more than I ever imagined I could do, being raised by 2 brothers definitely gives you a thick skin. So what do I do? I am a mountaineer, white water kayaker and more recently a mountain bike leader and British Velotech gold mechanic.

When I first came to the UK I had no qualifications, but today I have my Rock Climbing Instructor award, Summer Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader Trained, Summer International Mountain leader trained, Level 2 Mountain bike Leader, 5 star White water leader trained.

Although the qualifications may stand out I feel the experience and the things that I have done are far more valuable, and one epic stands out to me more than anything. It was the day I knew that I would one day stand at the highest point on earth.

It was freezing that morning, and it was 2am! The alarm clock went off and I got up and quickly opened the tent to violently throw up anything that was is my stomach. I looked at Tom and he looked at me and he said ‘Ella are you ok?’ I quickly turned away and began packing my bag, and said ‘Tom I am psyched out my mind I don’t know what else to do’

Soon after we had packed everything away I heard the familiar laugh of my brother Julian as he approached our tent at the base of the South East Ridge on Mt Kenya.

I was scared and I was nervous, but the excitement that today I was going to lead the South East Ridge blew me away. Harness on... check, bag... check.... bugger let’s just climb!

We climbed for 5 hours and they were tough and at times I was totally out my depth, but never hesitant...

No matter what was happening around me, I was so focused and so strong mentally and physically that I proved to myself that day that there was nothing that could ever stop me from climbing something that others thought was impossible.

24 pitches later I stood on the top of Nelion (5.185m), and man was it a great feeling! My first ever multi pitch lead, and the day that I realised that nothing would ever stop me achieving what I wanted to achieve in life.

So what do I want to achieve? I want to achieve a lot, some big mountains! But I want to be remembered, as a girl who wasn’t born with talent but I was born with a fire to achieve and become something of myself. So what that will be we shall see.

I asked my climbing partner, the man on the other end of my rope to write what he thought of me, because when you climb with someone and have to share a tiny porter ledge with them in freezing conditions your true colours really come out...

Schaniela Wright – ‘She does everything she puts her head to’

Schaniela’s warmth and positivity creates a reassuring atmosphere for anyone sharing a rope, camp or mountain with her. Yet, don’t be deceived by her relaxed and calm attitude, her tenacity and conviction to succeed in the mountains is hard to keep up with on route!

Prior to falling in love with the mountains, she joined rescue teams evacuating orphaned elephants from danger zones and rehabilitating them with the world-renowned David Sheldrick trust. Transitioning to guiding on Mt. Kenya from the age of 19 she has ensured the success of countless trek and climbing expeditions to the 5199m peak.

On moving to the UK Schaniela has started pursuing her British qualifications quickly gaining her mountain leader, rock climbing instructor and mountain bike leader tickets. These have allowed her to expand her guiding work into the mountains and crags of the UK, more recently she has begun guiding big 7 day mountain biking trips throughout the highlands of Scotland.

Personal highlights for me have been seeing her working with Reinhold Messner on his film adaptation of the famous rescue on Mt.Kenya – Still Alive. Hearing about her biking the descent of Mt. Kenya from 4200m and our ascent of the south east face of Nelion on Mt. Kenya and kayaking the great White Nile with her.

- Matthew Glenn