Kristin Harila completes all 8000’ers in record time
- Tuesday 9th May 2023
Norwegian climber, Kristin Harila, has recently become the fastest woman to summit all 14 8000m mountains.
News of Kristin Harila’s success has emerged from her home team that she summited Cho Oyu just two days after arriving at Base Camp. Harila had completed 12 of the 8000’ers last year; the remaining two she’s “finished off” this year firstly climbing Shishapangma and then finishing all 14 8000’ers by climbing Cho Oyu.
News surrounding Harila’s success appears to be scant but it seems that Tenjen 'Lama' Sherpa, and Ngima Rita Sherpa summited Cho Oyu with her. Harila reached the top at 12:30 Nepal time (14:45 China time) on May 3rd.
She began the quest by climbing Annapurna on April 28, 2022, and completed all 14 8000’ers in just 12 months and 5 days. She became the second fastest to complete the challenge after Nirmal 'Nims' Purja took 6 months and 6 days to complete all 14 in 2019 (click here to read about that).
Previously, the official record for climbing all 14 8000’ers was held by Spanish climber Edurne Pasaban Lizarribar, who achieved the feat in eight years and three months in 2010.
Harila had released plans outlining her intention to climb all 14 of the 8000’ers in 2023 without supplementary oxygen. However, Harila is understood to have used O2 on both Shishapangma and Cho Oyu this year.
Harila's intention for her 2023 project is unknown at the moment but is rumoured to be an attempt at Purja's record and complete all 14 in less than six months. According to reports, Harila sought to break Purja's record last year when she completed 12 of the 14 eight-thousanders, but a problem with the issuance of permits prevented her from beating Purja.