Norwegian Kristin Harila and Nepalese mountain guide Tenjin Sherpa completed their eight-thousander collection yesterday with the summit of K2. It took them just three months and one day to climb the 14 highest mountains in the world.
record hunter Kristin Harila equals their own best time. In the spring of this year, the Norwegian had already managed the fastest ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders. Within 370 days, thanks to bottled oxygen, a strong Sherpa team and helicopter support, she was on all the summits. But not enough. Harila wanted to be even faster and at the end of April made a new attempt on Shishapangma, which culminated in a new world record yesterday on K2: Again playing on the entire keyboard of commercial high-altitude mountaineering, they managed and Tenjin Sherpa the 14 summits in an incredible 92 days – more than twice as fast as Nimal Purja his time.
Crazy record or reprehensible development?
Climbing all eight-thousanders in the world in three months is something that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Nirmal Purja showed 2019 for the first time what is possible on the world's highest mountains when you combine physical prowess and an iron will with the possibilities of commercial mountaineering.
Now Kristin Harila and Tenjin Sherpa have upped the ante with their new record time of 92 days. The record would hardly have been possible for them without the support of their strong Sherpa team, the bottled oxygen and the helicopter flights.
Video: Harila set a record, but also received a lot of criticism
The hunt for records on the eight-thousanders and the style associated with it divides opinions. Many seasoned alpinists can be found in the Review by Robert Boesch Again, who argued in an op-ed piece on Lacrux that Harila practiced pre-alpinism and her ascents could not be compared to previous accomplishments.
On the other hand, the Norwegian, with her fairly transparent nature, was able to line up many sympathizers who celebrate her physical achievements and see her climbing style as a further development in high-altitude mountaineering.
Kristin Harila's 14×8000 World Record: Summits & Ascents
- Shishapangma, 8027m, April 26, 2023
- Cho Oyu, 8188m, May 3, 2023
- Makalu, 8485m, May 13, 2023
- Kangchenjunga, 8586m, May 18, 2023
- Everest, 8848m, May 23, 2023
- Lhotse, 8516m, 23 May 2023
- Dhaulagiri, 8167m, May 29, 2023
- Annapurna, 8091m, June 5, 2023
- Manaslu, 8163m, June 10, 2023
- Nanga Parbat, 8125m, June 26, 2023
- Gasherbrum II, 8034m, 15 July 2023
- Gasherbrum I, 8080m, July 18, 2023
- Broad Peak, 8051m, July 23, 2023
- K2, 8611m, 27 July 2023
That might interest you
- 8000 record hunter Kristin Harila in the criticism. what's up
- World record: Harila climbs all 8000m peaks in 370 days
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Credits: Cover picture Kristin Harila