Fastest climbers: Norwegian-Nepali duo scales 14 tallest peaks in record time

A Norwegian woman and her sherpa guide scaled K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth, in Pakistan on Thursday, their 14th highest mountain in around three months, becoming the world’s fastest climbers to scale all peaks above 8,000 metres (26,246 feet) in the shortest time, Reuters reported Thursday.

According to Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, managing director of the Seven Summit Treks (SST) company providing logistics to the climbers, Kristin Harila, 37, and Nepal’s Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa, 35, climbed K2, which is the world’s second-highest at 8,611 metres (28,251 feet) with eight other guides.

“They have become the fastest to climb all 14 peaks,” Tashi, told Reuters, quoting information from the base camp.

Climbing all 14 highest peaks in a few months is a challenging feat, which is normally done by many climbers in years.

They set the fastest climbing record by beating Nirmal Purja from Nepal who completed all peaks in six months and one week in 2019. But their latest feat, also confirmed by other climbers on the mountain, is yet to be confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records.

“They have made a summit a short while ago,” Madison told Reuters adding that the Norwegian woman was “extremely tough mentally and physically”.

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