Norwegian woman, Nepali Sherpa become 'fastest' to climb world's 14 tallest peaks

In an enthralling turn of events, a Norwegian woman named Kristin Harila, 37 and her guide, Nepal’s Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa, 35, have bagged the record as fastest climbers to ascend all 14 highest peaks in the world. On Thursday, 27 July, the duo climbed their last peak, Mount K2 in Pakistan, completing their record in just three months and one day. As per a report in The Guardian, the previous record was held by Nirmal “Nims” Purja, who achieved the milestone in three months and five days.

Based on Reuters’ report, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa from Seven Summit Treks (SST), a Nepal-based organising company, said that the duo’s achievement of ascending all peaks above 8,000 metres or 26,246 feet, places them at first in the shortest time. He further added that they climbed it with eight other guides. Additionally, one of the sherpas, Nima Rinjin Sherpa, 17, also became the youngest to climb K2, Tashi said.

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A challenging feat

In a conversation with Reuters, the SST official further said: “They have become the fastest to climb all 14 peaks. Climbing all 14 highest peaks in a few months is a challenging feat, which is normally done by many climbers in years.”

Describing the route, he explained that they took Shishapangma in the Tibet region of China, followed by Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Annapurna in Nepal. They then proceeded to Pakistan towards Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and the Broad Peak before topping K2. They completed all 14 in 92 days.

‘Mentally and physically tough’

According to Garrett Madison, of Madison Mountaineering, the weather supported the climbers’ cause:. “They just summited,” he said, adding that the Norwegian woman was “extremely tough mentally and physically.”

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Kristin Harila, the former professional skier, and the team set the record by beating Nepalese Nirmal Purja. It took Purja six months and one week to complete all the peaks in 2019. Even though their climb has been witnessed by other climbers, Harila and her team’s achievement is yet to be confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records.

As per The Guardian, renowned Nepali mountaineer and mountain guide Dawa Yangzum Sherpa has shed light on the ethics of helicopter use in the past. Citing Sherpa’s 2019 interview with National Geographic magazine, during the talk she criticised climbers “who take a helicopter to skip crossing the Khumbu icefall”, a dangerous section of glaciated terrain low on Everest.