Kristin Harila breaks 8,000m peak records

Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila is on track to beat Nimsdai Purja’s record, having now summited 6 out of 14 of the world’s above 8,000m peaks. Less than two weeks ago, Kristin summited Everest and Lhotse, swiftly moving on to conquer Makalu. Kristin also smashed her own record from last year, maintaining her title as the fastest female to traverse Everest-Lhotse, in 8 hours and 35 minutes.

Professional athlete Kristin Harila has completed the first phase of her Bremont 14 Peaks expedition, a monumental challenge tackling all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000m, with the aim to summit them all within six months. Kristin summited Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world, at 10.40am Nepal time on the 27th May. Despite relentless heavy snow, all climbers including Dawa Wongchu Sherpa and Pasdawa Sherpa, who accompanied Kristin on Makalu, descended safely to Base Camp, where Kristin waited to catch a helicopter to Kathmandu once weather conditions had cleared.

By completing the challenge within the six month timeframe, Kristin will become the second person ever, and first woman in history to do so. The Norwegian former cross-country skier-turned-Arctic guide has so far successfully completed the first six peaks in the challenge in just 29 days, breaking Nimsdai Purja‘s record of 31 days.