Kristin Harila, a Norwegian lady has smashed the record to have climbed all 14 of the world’s highest mountains the quickest. She did it in three months and one day, beating Nirmal “Nims” Purja’s previous record by three months and five days.
Former professional skier Kristin Harila reached her final peak, K2 in Pakistan, the second-highest mountain in the world, less than four months after setting out to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters.
The climb of Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world at 8,163 meters, was criticized by renowned sherpa Mingma G for her team’s apparent significant dependence on helicopters to stock camps on the mountain before her successful ascension. Harila’s efforts, however, have not been without criticism.
On her last peak, Osprey, one of her sponsors, announced her triumph.
According to a statement from Osprey, “Today at around 10.45 am Kristin and her committed climbing partner, Tenjin ‘Lama’ Sherpa, successfully summited K2 in Pakistan, and with that reached the summits of 14 mountains standing at 8,000 meters or higher in a phenomenal world record time of just three months and one day (92 days).”
“Kristin has established a new standard for climbing history with her astounding feat and cemented her position as a superb trailblazer in the industry. Her accomplishment acts as motivation for mountaineers and explorers all across the world by showing that incredible heights are achievable with perseverance and devotion.
“The partnership between Harila and Lama has shown the spirit of mountaineering togetherness, across boundaries and cultures to accomplish greatness together. As Kristin and Lama triumphantly return from this historic expedition, they thank all of their fans and the mountaineering community for their unfailing support and faith in their mission.
Bottled oxygen was utilized throughout Harila’s ascents, and sherpas provided assistance. How many of the peaks Tenjin Sherpa had ascended alongside Harila remained unknown.
Reinhold Messner, who is recognized as one of the best mountaineers in the world, was the first to complete the circle of 14 summits. It took him years to finish it. However, mountaineers have recently attempted to ascend all 14 summits in a single month, a challenge first accomplished by Purja in 2019.
However, there have lately been questions raised over how many climbers have genuinely finished the challenge, with ascents of Manaslu playing a significant role in the debate.
The genuine top of the mountain, which is a little further along the summit ridge and necessitates downclimbing and a potentially hazardous crossing through a brief portion of exposed snow slopes, is claimed by the majority of professionally led excursions on a forepeak a little below the true summit.
Eberhard Jurgalski, a scholar who spent ten years examining climbers who claimed the 14 peaks, asserted last year that only three people, not counting Messner, had reached the genuine summits of all the mountains.
However, Jurgalski himself received criticism for a few mistakes in his list and for failing to get in touch with at least one well-known climber.
While Mingma G, who has his own high-mountain guiding business in Nepal, questioned Harila’s usage of helicopters on the same peak, her crew claimed that she had reached the genuine top of Manaslu.
Mingma G criticized the strategies in an interview with ExplorersWeb conducted last month. ExplorersWeb has long advocated for greater openness in the claims made about polar and high mountain records.
“Last day’s footage is in this video. Rope, oxygen, and sherpas are being delivered by helicopter to Camp 2 on Manaslu. The path from camp 2 to camp 1 will be made open by them [the sherpas].
In Nepal, a brand-new climbing paradigm is emerging. The situation was same on Annapurna as well. [Sherpas] descended at camp 3 and started opening down. I was shocked to learn that [Harila’s crew] summited Annapurna in one push, ascending from base camp to camp 3. I’m aware of the path and the snow,” Mingma G said on the website.
Three shuttles went to camp 2 and one went to camp 1, according to Harila’s crew, on Monday. Both the reputation of the sherpa and the image of the Himalaya will be damaged by this.
When questioned about the utilization of helicopters on Manaslu, Harila’s group justified the practice by asserting that it was growing more frequent.
Kristin simply flew to the basecamp. For many treks, flying equipment to higher camps is done.
The team stated that this was done to guarantee the safety of the sherpas.
Helicopter use in the Himalayas is becoming more prevalent, which has prompted criticism for its negative effects on the environment and the economic prospects of mountain populations.
In order to encourage the use of yaks and porters for traditional transportation during the spring of 2023 in the Khumbu region surrounding Everest, the local authorities temporarily limited plane service to Everest base camp.
Renowned climber and mountain guide Dawa Yangzum Sherpa from Nepal has also questioned the morality of utilizing helicopters. She criticized climbers “who take a helicopter to skip crossing the Khumbu icefall”—a perilous stretch of glaciated terrain near the base of Everest—in an interview with National Geographic magazine in 2019.
See also the first woman to climb Kilimanjaro
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