This week, Norwegian climber Kristin Harila made history by becoming the fastest woman to summit all mountains above 8000 meters. She achieved this feat by successfully climbing Cho Oyu, the last mountain remaining on her list.
Just a week prior, she stood atop Shishapangma, the fourteenth-highest mountain, on April 26. The expedition was managed by Seven Summit Treks, a Nepalese company, who confirmed that Harila reached the summit of Cho Oyu at 11:35 am local time on Wednesday.
Thaneshwor Guragain, the manager of Seven Summit Treks, stated, “Kristin is now the fastest woman to successfully climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters.”
This achievement surpasses the previous official record held by Spanish climber Edurne Pasaban Lizarribar, who accomplished the feat in eight years and three months in 2010. In an audio message from the mountain, Harila expressed her excitement and gratitude, stating that she felt more exhilarated than ever after the ascent.
She mentioned the arduous nature of the climb, enduring difficult weather conditions and constant wind, which made reaching the summit even more challenging.
In 2022, Harila climbed 12 peaks, setting a world record by becoming the fastest female to summit Mount Everest and Lhotse in less than twelve hours.
However, her attempt to break the all-time record for climbing all 14 peaks above 8000 meters in a single season fell short, as her permit request to climb the remaining two mountains was rejected by Chinese authorities.
Reflecting on this setback, she expressed that her biggest disappointment was not about the record itself but rather the inability to fulfill something she had set her mind to.
Harila’s recent summits are part of the “She Moves Mountains Expedition,” which is a continuation of her incomplete mission from 2022. This time, the expedition began with mountains in Tibet to avoid permit-related complications and will continue with mountains located in Nepal.
The project aims to surpass the current record held by Nirmal Purja, a former UK Special Forces soldier, who ascended all 14 eight-thousanders in six months and six days in 2019. Purja’s achievement was later documented in the Netflix documentary ’14 Peaks.’
To document her journey in Tibet and on the mountains, Harila is accompanied by Sherpas Ngima Rita Sherpa and Tenjen Sherpa, as well as Matias Myklebust from Field Productions, who is filming the expedition.
