On July 27 2023, Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa achieved a remarkable feat by scaling K2, the world’s second highest peak in Pakistan. This accomplishment marked the completion of their conquest of all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters within an astonishingly short span of three months.
According to Chhang Dawa Sherpa, the Expedition Director, Kristin and Tenjen reached the summit of K2 at approximately 11:30 am Nepal time, solidifying their position as the fastest climbers to conquer all 14 8,000-meter peaks. “They have done it in three months,” stated Chhang Dawa Sherpa, emphasizing the incredible speed and determination displayed by the duo.
Their achievement came amidst challenging conditions, with over 200 climbers attempting a summit push due to a brief weather window on K2. However, many of them were forced to abandon their efforts due to the unpredictable and unstable weather. Nevertheless, Kristin and Tenjen managed to prevail despite facing deep snow and freak weather conditions, proving their expertise and resilience.
Before their successful K2 ascent, Kristin and Tenjen had already conquered several other formidable peaks. They had triumphantly scaled G1 on July 18, Broad Peak on July 23, and G2 on July 15, and reached the summit of Nanga Parbat on June 26.
Impressively, they completed the challenge of climbing all 14 mountains over 8,000 meters in an astonishingly short duration of just 92 days. Earlier in their quest, they had climbed Mt. Manaslu on June 10, followed by Mt. Annapurna on June 5, and Mt. Dhaulagiri on May 29. Moreover, Kristin and Tenjen had previously scaled Mt. Everest and Mt. Lhotse on May 23, and Kanchenjunga on May 18.
Their ambitious journey began with the ascent of Mt. Shishapangma on April 26, followed by Mt. Cho Oyu in Tibet on May 3. On May 15, they triumphantly scaled Mt. Makalu.
Kristin Harila, 37, a multiple record holder in climbing achievements, had already etched her name in history as the first woman climber to achieve the fastest ascent of all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in just one year and five days, as confirmed by Seven Summit Treks.
However, the adventurous duo’s quest does not end here. To set yet another record, Kristin needs to summit Cho Oyu and Shishapangma in Tibet once again, thus completing all 14 peaks twice. The relentless determination and exceptional mountaineering skills displayed by Kristin and Tenjen have earned them a well-deserved place among the elite climbers of the world.
