Keyword: Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner

Those who are visible in mountaineering shape role models and opportunities. The Summit Scholarship Foundation works specifically to give women in alpinism more space, training, and recognition. Founder Sunny Stroeer and alpinism legend Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner explain in this interview why this goes far beyond symbolism.

With the establishment of mountain tourism on most of the eight-thousanders and all of the Seven Summits plus a few other mountains, the required alpinistic skills have been reduced to almost zero. By alpine skills I mean independent climbing, acting and making decisions on the mountain. Everything that used to be required on these mountains has now largely become superfluous thanks to the technical infrastructure on the mountain. It is enough if you learn to walk with crampons in the base camp and to attach yourself correctly to the fixed rope.

Last year she came close to beating Nirmal Purja's 14x8000 record time. Now Kristin Harila wants to try again - and she goes one better: The Norwegian not only wants to climb all 14 eight-thousanders in the world within a year, she also wants to do it without artificial oxygen.