Record! This Nepalese Woman And Sherpa Become The Fastest To Conquer The Entire Peak Of The Mountain Above 8,000 Mdpl In 92 Days

Illustration of climbing to Mount K2. (Wikimedia Commons.Abbas Pakistani)

JAKARTA - A Norwegian woman and her Sherpa guide successfully climbed Mount K2 in Pakistan late last month, the 14th highest mountain they hit in just over three months, becoming the world's fastest climber to climb the entire summit above 8,000 meters (26,246 ft) in the shortest possible time, an official from an organized Nepalese company said.

Kristin Harila (35) and Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa (35) climbed K2, which is the second-highest peak in the world with a height of 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) along with eight other guides, said Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, president director of the company Seven Summit Treks (SST) providing logistics for climbers in Kathmandu.

"They became the fastest to climb the 14th peak," Tashi told Reuters, citing information from the base camp.

Climbing the 14th highest peak in months is a challenging feat, which many climbers have typically made over the years.

They set the fastest climbing record by beating Nirmal Purja of Nepal, who completed all peaks in six months and one week in 2019. However, Kristin and Tenjen's achievements, which were also confirmed by other climbers on the mountain, have not been confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Record.

The two climbers started their impressive record by reaching the peak of Shishapangma in the Tibetan region, China on April 26. After that, they continued to climb Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Annapurna in Nepal before continuing their journey to Pakistan, where they climbed Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, and Puncak Lebar before reaching the K2 peak, completing the 14 peaks of the mountain within 92 days.

Madison Madison, from the US-based Madison Mountaineering company which is also on K2 and leads a different expedition, said the two climbers took advantage of the short weather and reached the top of the mountain.

"They have reached the peak some time ago," Madison told Reuters and added the Norwegian woman was "very mentally and physically resilient".

One of the herpas, 17-year-old Nima Rinjin Sherpa, is also the youngest to climb K2, said Tashi.