Norway’s Kristin Harila becomes fastest woman to climb all 8-thousanders

Kathmandu, May 3 (EFE).- Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila reached the summit of Cho Oyu (8,188 meters), the world’s sixth highest mountain, on Wednesday, becoming the fastest woman to ascend all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters (26,247 feet).

After completing her ascent of Annapurna (8,091 meters) on Apr.28, 2022, it took her 12 months and 5 days to conquer the remaining 13 eight-thousanders.

She is now the seventh woman to complete a summit of the 14 highest peaks on the planet and the fastest one to achieve the feat.

“She is now the fastest woman to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters,” Thaneshwor Guragain, manager at Seven Summit Treks – the agency handling Harila’s expedition, told EFE.

Harila is now the second fastest human to have achieved this milestone, behind the Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who took 6 months and 7 days to complete this challenge in 2019.

Harila sought to break this record last year, when she completed 12 of the 14 eight-thousanders, but a problem with the issuance of permits by the concerned authorities prevented her from beating Purja.

However, the Norwegian mountaineer still aims to beat Purja’s record, and will make another attempt to climb the 14 highest peaks this year in less than six months.

According to 8000ers.com – a website that keeps track of summits and related statistics -, a total 56 climbers claimed to have summited all 14 eight-thousanders.

Spanish climber Edurne Pasaban was the first woman to achieve this milestone after her summit of Mt. Shishapangma (8,027 meters) in May 2010.

South Korean climber Oh Eun-sun claimed to complete all 14 eight-thousanders in April 2010, which would have made her the first woman to achieve this feat.

However, her claim to have ascended Mt. Kangchenjunga was disputed by multiple experts and the Korean Alpine Federation ruled that she had not made the climb to the top. EFE

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