Kristin Harila has climbed her 14th eight-thousander with Cho Oyu in Tibet. With a time of one year and five days, the Norwegian is currently the fastest woman on the highest mountains in the world. Depending on the interpretation, she even beats record holder Nirmal Purja.
The Norwegian completes the second eight-thousander in Tibet Kristin Harila her 8000 collection. On May 3, 2023, just a year and five days after she launched from Annapurna, she stood on the summit of Cho Oyu.
New world record?
With this time, Kristin Harila is the fastest woman on the 14 eight-thousanders in the world. If you orientate yourself on the summit study of the Himalayan chronicler Eberhard Jurgalski, she is the new world record holder with her 370 days for the 14 eight-thousanders.
"I'm convinced that 99 percent of all those who were on the wrong summit thought they were on the right one."
Eberhard Jurgalski
According to Jurgalski, the Nepalese climber Nimal Purja never reached the two effective peaks of Dhaulagiri and Manaslu in his 2019 record. Only in autumn 2021 did he catch up with the real summits.
After the record is before the record
Kristin Harila doesn't seem to want to get involved in such discussions. Her press office mentions the completion of the old record in passing: "After climbing twelve mountains last year, it is a relief for Harila and her team that the two mountains she was unable to climb in 2022 have finally been reached .»
The focus is clearly on their new She Moves Mountains Expedition and the associated goal of climbing the 14 eight-thousanders in less than six months. Kristin Harila and her team got off to a good start with the ascents of Shishapangma and Cho Oyu within nine days.
New team, new provider
The Norwegian is on her new record hunt with a new team and a new expedition provider. After climbing Manaslu, she realized that 8K is not the right provider for her, says Kristin Harila.
"Both for logistical and other reasons, including the fact that they were unable to help me obtain visas for Cho Oyu and Shishapangma last year."
Kristin Harila
For Pasdawa Sherpa and Dawa Ongju Sherpa, who had significantly supported the 37-year-old on many climbs in 2022, the abrupt change was not well received at all, as the following Facebook post shows.
Harila, on the other hand, did not want to let these allegations sit. Dawa, Pasdawa and she met the day before leaving for Tibet. The permits were a done deal, the visa applications were still pending. The fact that she got it and they didn't is beyond her control. "I really wanted them to come with me."
"It was with a heavy heart that I realized that I had to go without her. But my new project required me to leave right then. I'm disappointed and sorry it ended this way."
Kristin Harila
On her new record hunt, Kristin Harila becomes von Ngima Rita Sherpa and Tenjen Sherpa of Climbalaya and Seven Summit Treks accompanied. She had to bury her original goal of climbing the 14 eight-thousanders without oxygen at Shishapangma. "I realized we were taking too much time and it was very windy, so I started using my backup oxygen from Camp 3."
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Credits: Cover picture Kristin Harila