From the Himalayas to the Boardroom
Carole Fuchs is a climate and biodiversity policy expert, anthropologist, and elite mountain athlete whose work bridges frontline experience with high-level sustainability strategy. She has spent years in the Himalayas, climbing multiple 8,000-metre peaks, including Mount Everest, while documenting how climate change is reshaping glaciers, ecosystems, and the lives of local communities.
Beyond her athletic work, Carole is a climate negotiator and policy advisor with experience in UNFCCC negotiations, CBD COP processes, and international climate finance. Her expertise spans energy transition, nature-based solutions, and biodiversity governance, with a strong focus on turning global frameworks into practical, decision-ready insights.
What sets Carole apart is her athlete-anthropologist lens. She translates complex climate science and policy into human-centred understanding, helping leaders, organisations, and communities move from awareness to action. Grounded in lived experience and rigorous policy work, she offers a rare perspective, one that connects the realities of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems with the levers of global decision-making.
Meet your Guide
Carole Fuchs was a professional athlete from 2015 to 2021, specializing in ultra-endurance mountain running. She set multiple records in major ultra-trail races across Asia and completed numerous high-altitude climbs, including several 7,000 m and 8,000 m peaks, among them Mount Everest via the North Face during an oxygen-free attempt.
For over a decade, Carole has operated in some of the most challenging high-altitude environments, combining trail running, mountaineering, and long-duration expeditions in the Himalayas. Her approach to sport is guided by simplicity, self-reliance, and respect for natural environments, reflecting a responsible and sustainable practice of mountain adventure.
Today, Carole is a trail running coach and mountain guide, leading groups of runners, hikers, and mountaineers on transformative trips in Nepal and Japan.
Third Pole Climate Nexus
Founder & Director
Third Pole Climate Nexus is a platform that integrates climate policy, glacier science, local knowledge, and storytelling to accelerate climate adaptation in Himalayan glacier regions. The organisation builds partnerships with local communities, researchers, civil society organisations, and international networks to strengthen water resilience across Asia. It also designs climate adaptation strategies and mobilises international funders and philanthropic partners to support field projects, research initiatives, and community-driven solutions.
Lewis Pough Foundation Environmental Sports Champion Award
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