Nepali mountaineer Chhiring Sherpa on Thursday summited Mount K2 (8,611m) in just 12 hours 20 minutes, setting a world record of speed climb of the world’s second highest mountain. 

“Chhiring finished his speed climb of K2 in 12 hours 20 minutes and 23 seconds,” Mingma Gyalje Sherpa aka Mingma G told Everest Chronicle from the K2 base camp, who was monitoring the ascent of his team mate. “K2 climb is not easy to pull off, and this record is not easy to break anytime soon,” he said.

The fastest climb recorded in K2 was previously held by French alpinist Benoît Chamoux, who made the summit in 23 hours from the Abruzzo Spur on May 7, 1986.

Chhiring followed the same route that Benoît did thirty-six years later, and sped to the summit 11 hours ahead of Benoît’s record speed climb. 

“K2 is always regarded as mountain of mountains, savage mountain and even Nepalese Sherpa have started making records here, which means Nepalese Sherpa have upgraded themselves from high altitude porters to the finest of climbers,” said Mingma G, Managing Director at Imagine Nepal Treks. 

Chhiring climbed non-stop towards the summit since leaving base camp, taking a break only at camp 3 tent for 23 minutes due to high wind and zero visibility, according to Mingma G.

Chhiring, who hails from Sankhuwasabha district, is a certified IFMGA mountain guide. He has summited seven of the 14 peaks above 8,000m. He summited four 8,000ers in the past three months-- Dhaulagiri on April 9, Kanchenjunga on May 7, Everest on May 16 and K2 on July 22.

This is his third summit of K2.

French alpinist Benjamin Vedrines, who was also trying to set a speed record on K2, still appears in the bottleneck in Garmin track. On July 19, Benjamin summited Mount Broad Peak (8,051m) in just 7 hours. 

Benjamin is climbing in pure alpine style without supplemental oxygen, while Chhiring started using bottled oxygen above 6,600m, according to Mingma G. 

Two Nepali mountaineer Lakpa Dendi Sherpa and Mingma David Sherpa, who also headed to the summit on Wednesday lagged behind. Lakpa seems to have to have quit from Camp II, while Mingma David can still be seen in Garmin track in the bottleneck. Lakpa and Mingma are from Elite Exped of renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja aka Nimsdai. 

Lakpa is known for his climb of Everest — three times within 10 days 18 hours 30 minutes. He did all three summits from base camp to the summit and back on 13, 18 and 24 May of 2018. He has summited 9 different 8,000ers 29 times. 

Mingma David Sherpa is the youngest 14 peaks summiteer and member of the all Nepali winter K2 expedition of last year. He also holds the Guinness World Record for climbing Everest and K2 the fastest, which he did in 61 days. Mingma had just led his client to the summit of K2 successfully on July 22.

Update: Mingma David completed his speed climb of K2 in 14 hours and 22 minute, while Lakpa quit the race from Camp III. It was Mingma's fifth summit of K2. French alpinist could not summit as he got altitude sickness. An Italian team rescued him from the bottleneck.