On the night of Monday, the message came from the support apparatus for the mountain climber from Vadsø – Kristin Harila has climbed the mountain peak Dhaulagiri. It is the seventh highest mountain peak in the world, and is located in the Himalayas, west/central Nepal. The summit is 8,167 meters above sea level. By checking off mountain peak number seven on the list, it puts Harila in a good position in his world record attempt to climb the 14 highest mountain peaks in the world in less than six months. Back home in Norway, people and athletes are cheering on the performance, while her closest friends are watching very excitedly. – For my part, the most important thing is that she gets back home safely, says her boyfriend and expedition navigator Jens Kvernmo. Kristin Harila on her way up Everest and Lhotse on 23 May this year. Photo: Kristin Harila Fastest woman in the world On 26 April, Kristin Harila officially started the stopwatch for her attempt to set a new world record. It is the climber Nimsdai Purja who holds the record. In 2019, he spent 189 days climbing all the world’s mountains over 8,000 meters. The mountain climber from Vadsø attempted the same record last year, but was stopped when she did not get a climbing license in China. At that time she managed 12 out of 14 mountains. On her new attempt this year, she has spent just over a month climbing seven of the mountain peaks. Kristin Harila on her way up Mount Everest and Lhotse together with Jake Meyer and the sherpa Lama. Mountaineer Meyer kept Harila and Lama company for a while, before the duo continued alone up the last stage. Photo: Kristin Harila But it has not been without drama along the way. When mountain peaks number five and six on the list, Mount Everest and Lhothe, were to be climbed together with the Sherpa Lama – one of the oxygen bottles stopped working. – While we were climbing we had a problem with an oxygen bottle, so we couldn’t use it. In the last 50 minutes of the climb, Lama was without oxygen, but we took it slow and he was in good shape, Harila reported. It all ended with Harila managing to beat her own record from last year, and is still the fastest woman in the world up Everest and Lhotse. – Lama was a superhero again and made us move so fast. Which is very important in this type of project. He really is a fantastic sherpa, Harila reported after the new record. In May last year, she also set a new world record by climbing six mountains in less than a month. In the comments section of news Troms and Finnmark, people in the home county are cheering for Kristin Harila. Photo: Skjermdump / news Gets applause from athletes Back home in Norway, the people cheer for Harila in the comment fields for every mountain peak she climbs. Other expedition sailors also follow along excitedly along the way. – It’s an insane raw performance, says Frank Løke about what the wading lake achieves in the mountains. He reached the summit of K2 at the same time as Kristin Harila last year. On the way down, there was drama for the former handball player, when he got into big trouble past a patch of ice. Frank Løke a few days before he climbed K2 in July 2022. He became the third Norwegian to climb the world’s second highest mountain, 8611 meters above sea level. Photo: private He therefore knows the risk the mountain climber from Finnmark is taking. He is, however, sure that she will be able to take the world record. – She bets everything and follows her dreams. There is a lot of respect for that, says Løke and adds: – But she has some tough mountains left in Pakistan, so let’s hope that she has the weather gods and all the gods of the world on her side when she tackles the most dangerous peaks. Other athletes also eagerly follow the climb to Harila. – She is absolutely raw! says Norwegian champion in long-distance dog sledding, Thomas Wærner. Norwegian champion in long-distance dog sledding, Thomas Wærner in Kirkenes during Finnmarksløpet 2023. Now he is eagerly following the physical and psychological challenges the mountain climber from Vadsø is going through. Photo: Øyvind Næss / news Although he does not directly compare his own sport to mountain climbing, Wærner can recognize the mental strength required. – I recognize the ability to persevere over time, especially when things are not going so well along the way – and the inner motivation she has inside and that she keeps the “drive” peak after peak, that’s quite an achievement. Wærner is impressed by what he calls an enormous physical task that Harila is doing, in addition to all the logistics that are needed to be able to carry out the project. – It looks like she will manage this record, she is in a very good position. Jens Kvernmo and Kristin Harila told early in May that they had become lovers. During Harila’s project, Kvernmo came to visit her in Kathmandu. Photo: Kristin Harila – Very proud of her Kristin Harila’s boyfriend sits on the sidelines and follows along excitedly. The expedition navigator Jens Kvernmo has been out on a winter night himself before, and is impressed by what Harila can achieve. – I am of course very proud of her, and incredibly impressed by how quickly she is able to walk the mountains, says Kvernmo to news. You have recently been able to see the expedition navigator Jens Kvernmo on the TV screen in the TV series “Jens and Isak på tynn is”, when he and Isak Dreyer visited Greenland to learn traditional hunting methods. Photo: Kjartan Ovesen However, he does not hide the fact that he is a little nervous about the risky project of his girlfriend. At the same time, the adventurer has no doubt that in a few months Harila will hold the reigning world record. – She is physically and mentally very strong, and she will probably reach her goal and take the record this year. However, he is not entirely sure whether there will be so many trips together in the mountains afterwards. – I don’t know if I dare to go with her on a mountain trip, Kvernmo says with a smile.
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Kristin Harila halfway through the world record attempt – climbed 7 out of 14 mountain peaks – news Troms and Finnmark
