Dianette Wells
Adventurer ~ Athlete
Author ~ Speaker
Author, Dianette Wells, is one of fewer than one hundred women to summit the highest peaks on every continent; she has spent her life pushing beyond limits most never approach.
From the frozen brutality of Antarctica to the death zones of the world’s tallest mountains, she has faced avalanches, exhaustion, isolation, and fear with relentless determination.
Filled with breathtaking adventure, hard-earned wisdom, sharp humor, and extraordinary courage, The Space Between Summits is an unforgettable story of a woman who discovered that survival is not about conquering mountains—it is about finding the strength to continue climbing after everything changes. is more than just a chronicle of daring feats. It’s a heartfelt journey of self-discovery rooted in a passion for sports, the emotional trauma of divorce that many experience, and the devastating, unexpected loss of her only son.
The Space Between Summits is a celebration of the human spirit’s boundless capacity for courage and resilience, even during the most tragic of events. Dianette’s journey reminds us that life’s greatest rewards often lie beyond the boundaries of our comfort zones, waiting for those willing to reach out and grasp them.
This story is about a remarkable woman, a modern-day explorer who has chosen to dance on the razor’s edge of life, engaging in adventure sports that push the limits of human endurance and daring.
-- Mark Burnett, Emmy Award-winning producer and former chairman of MGM Park City, Utah
"This book is a deep and thoughtful examination of triumph and tragedy. Dianette opens up her life to us in the most vulnerable ways."
— Charlie Engle, author of Running Man: A Memoir, addiction recovery coach, ultra endurance athlete
"No one I know has the courage to explore the world and the limits of herself. A must read!”
— Gerald W. Abrams, executive producer
“Dianette is a force of nature. Whether she’s climbing the highest mountains or tackling the massive challenge of writing a book, she tells her story of triumph and tragedy with style and courage. What a fantastic achievement.”
— John Watkin, Emmy-winning producer/director
“What a ride! … Biting wit and gallows humor combined with compassion and heart—Dianette and her story will help get you up and down any mountain.”
— Kelly Chapman Meyer, founder of OneSun Farms
“The Space Between Summits teaches us how fragile life is yet is also a shining example of how fearlessly living life on the edge connects us with the world and our inner selves, and ultimately, leads to healing.”
— Marshall Ulrich, adventurer and bestselling author of Running on Empty and Both Feet on the Ground
“The Space Between Summits beautifully illustrates the resilience with which Dianette approached each challenge in her life.”
— Mary Gadams, founder of RacingThePlanet
Endorsements
Excerpt
From, Chapter 2 (ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro)
…The third, fourth, and fifth day sort of blended together. We hiked the incline and arrived at the camp, where I unpacked the duffle bags and organized what I removed from them, inflated the sleeping pads, and laid out the sleeping bags. Then I’d change clothes and go eat, return to the tent, sleep, and rise to start the morning process all over again. The best thing was the clean, fuzzy sleeping socks that I put on every night to keep my feet warm.
I was surprised and shocked by the litter I saw along the trail. I watched a French-speaking man who was climbing with another group throw his candy wrapper on the ground. I was incensed. Who litters? Even worse, who goes to someone else’s country and litters on their mountain? I picked up his wrapper and muttered “Asshole” under my breath.
On the night of the summit, our guide, Wally Berg, woke us at ten p.m. to give us time to gather our things, organize our gear for the summit, and have a small bite to eat before we began the climb. The first goal of the day was to reach Stella Point to experience the sunrise. For me, it was a very special day in the year before the new millennium.
It was really cold, and the stars in the sky made it look as if God had vomited stars—billions of sparkling orbs filled the heavens! We huddled together on a tarp and had coffee and some biscuits—a far cry from the large, warm breakfast served in a dining tent that is standard now. We stood up, grabbed our backpacks, which were pretty light as we were wearing all of our warm things, and started up the large rocky outcroppings on our way to the summit.
Our guide kept a really slow pace to help prevent climbers from getting sick. I was tired and freezing, and the slow, monotonous pace had me falling over sideways. I have walked fast since kindergarten, and this crawl of a pace was something new. It wasn’t fast enough to warm myself and the rhythmic, slow steps almost put me to sleep. The monotony was broken only because we stopped every hour for a bite to eat and something to drink.
I was thrilled when we finally reached Stella Point, on the rim of the crater. Awaiting those first golden rays, we huddled together to stay warm and watched the morning sun color the sparse clouds as it rose over the African landscape. It was breathtaking, but I was ready to finish this trek.
We had only about an hour’s hike left, and from that point onward, we were allowed to walk at our own pace to the final/true summit at Uhuru Peak. I looked around and thought about the four members of our group who weren’t here to experience the moment. Three of the four had decided not to even attempt the climb. They weren’t physically fit and recognized the potential problems. The other felt too sick and turned back. One of them had said, “I heard it was just a walk,” only to discover that it is actually a formidable ascent. Technically, it is just a walk—a walk that takes you to an elevation of 19,000 feet on a steep mountainside. I couldn’t imagine not putting in some training time and traveling all this way without even making an attempt to summit.
The ice fascinated me as we approached the summit. Sometimes it was up to my knees and sometimes up to my armpits. Despite the ice and the cold, I pressed on, and when we reached the ice-capped Uhuru Peak, it was like standing atop the world. I was at Africa’s highest point, on the world’s largest freestanding volcano!