Norwegian climber Kristin Harilla on Friday scaled Mount Gasherbrum II (8,034m) along with her climbing companions, Pasdawa Sherpa and Dawa Ongju Sherpa, 8K Expedition, her outfitter said.
“Kristin and Nepali guides reached the summit of Gasherbrum II at 7:19 am Pakistan time,” Pemba Sherpa, founder of 8K Expeditions, told Everest Chronicle.
This was the trio’s tenth 8000er in the past four months.
Kristin wants to scale all 14 peaks above 8000m in 6 months – similar to the record set by Nirmal Purja aka Nimsdai. Through her 14 peaks mission, Kristin wants to show that women are equally competent climbers capable of achieving any mountaineering feat.
She has been a little behind schedule in summiting Karakoram peaks. Purja had scaled all Karakoram mountains above 8,000m within July.
Kristin scaled all peaks above 8,000m in Nepal ahead of Nimsdai. She also scaled Mount Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak ahead of him. Kristin’s expedition has fallen behind in Gasherbrum summits after her K2 summit.
The long delay in Nanga Parbat and Broad peak for this year has been blamed on the weather. There was continuous snowfall, which stopped the mountaineers in basecamps for weeks. This delayed the summits of K2, GI and GII.
Pemba, however, is confident that she will complete her mission. “Mountaineering community and people who know the ethics of mountaineering know that we are almost ahead of the previous record, except some delays at the last part of Pakistan,” said Pemba.
Kristin, who holds multiple world records, has also become the first female climber to scale 10 eight-thousanders in a record time. She achieved this feat in 102 days.
“If the permission is given by China to climb Shishapangma and Cho Oyu in Tibet, we will finish the project by October end,” said Pemba.
Kristin is now heading to Gasherbrum I to conclude the Karakoram summits, wrapping up the second phase of her 14 peaks mission.
