Norwegian climber her Nepali guide break world record, conquering 14 peaks above 8,000 meters

On Thursday, Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her Nepali guide Tenzing Sherpa became the fastest mountaineers globally to achieve the feat of conquering 14 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters in height, after successfully reaching the summit of "K2" in Pakistan, as announced by their team.

The duo accomplished the 14 peaks in three months and one day (92 days), according to a statement issued by their team, breaking the previous record set by Nepali-British climber Nirmal Purja in 2019, who achieved it in six months and six days.

Purja had previously surpassed the record held by Polish climber Jerzy Kukuczka, who accomplished the feat in seven years, 11 months, and 14 days, setting the record in the 1980s.

In their statement, Kristin Harila and Tenzing Sherpa emphasized that this new record reflects their "strong determination, teamwork, and perseverance" throughout their climbing journey. They added that their cooperation "showed the essence of unity in mountaineering, surpassing borders and cultures to achieve excellence together."

Approximately 40 men and a few women have reached the fourteen peaks, which surpass 8,000 meters in height.

The race to achieve this accomplishment began with Italian climber Reinhold Messner in 1986.

By reaching the summit of "K2," which is the second-highest mountain globally (8,611 meters) and located within the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan, the duo completed a journey that started on April 26th in Tibet, climbing Shishapangma (8,027 meters) in the Himalayas.

In a statement to AFP, Harila's team member Regmor Bertie quoted the climber saying that "the climb was extremely challenging due to the amount of snow." She added that she is "very grateful and happy" to share the world record with Tenzing Sherpa, whom she affectionately calls "Lama."

Harila had previously attempted to break the speed record for climbing the fourteen peaks last year, but strict Chinese COVID-19 containment measures thwarted her project.

After climbing the first 12 peaks in record time, she did not receive the necessary permits to climb the peaks of Shishapangma, entirely located in Tibet, and Cho Oyu, which is climbed from the Chinese side.

She revived her project this year under the title "She Moves Mountains," with a new team of Nepali guides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP