Finnmarking Kristin Harila has since 28 April this year climbed 12 of the world’s highest mountains, all over 8,000 metres. If she manages two more by November 2, she and her team Dawa Ongju Sherpa and Pasdawa Sherpa will set a world record. No one has managed this faster, but the obstacles are not only the world’s most dangerous mountains. Lack of a Chinese visa means that she has now decided to reach the mountain peak Cho Oyu at 8201 metres, from Nepal. Kristin Harila is getting ready to climb a route up Cho Oyu that has never been done before. Photo: Sandro Gromen-Hayes Extreme avalanche danger From Kathmandu in Nepal, Kristin says that they are aware that it is probably much more difficult to climb this mountain from Nepal than from China. – There have been large amounts of snow lately. We know that the avalanche danger is extreme, says Harila. In the mountain massif on the Nepalese side, there have been several large avalanches recently. Harila’s team is aware that two have lost their lives in avalanches. Several have been injured. In Norway, Harila’s record attempt is followed by experienced climbers who believe the woman from Vadsø is taking the sport to an extreme level. Vadsøværingen Kristin Harila has previously climbed Mount Everest. Photo: Privat Don’t know what awaits in the mountain Finnmarkingen believes that climbing a route that no one has completed before offers very special challenges. The team cannot rely on the experiences of other climbers, as they have done during previous summit ascents. According to Kristin Harila, no one has climbed the last 800 meters towards the top before. Harila and the Sherpas will, among other things, use a drone to investigate where it is possible to find a route in the mountains. – We don’t know what we’re going to meet up there, and what it’s going to be like. There will be much more uncertainty about this. The route that we have chosen seems to be very, very difficult, says Harila. – There will be much more technical climbing than in the many other mountains we have climbed. Technical climbing means that they climb on pure mountain without being able to use crampons in snow and ice. Together with Dawa Ongju Sherpa and Pasdawa Sherpa, she will try to reduce the risk where possible. – We would have clearly agreed to climb from the other side, if we had received the Chinese visa permit. Plan of Harila PHASE 1: NEPAL Annapurna I, 8091 m, climbed on 28 April. Dhaulagiri, 8167 m., climbed on 8 May. Kanchenjunga, 8586 m., climbed on 15 May. Mount Everest, 8849 m, climbed on 22 May. Lhotse, 8516 m, climbed on 22 May. Makalu, 8463 m, climbed on 27 May. PHASE 2: PAKISTAN Nanga Parbat, 8126 m., climbed on 1 July. K2, 8611 m., climbed on 22 July. Broad Peak, 8051 m, climbed on 28 July. Gasherbrum II, 8080 m, climbed on 8 August. Gasherbrum I, 8035 m, climbed on 11 August. PHASE 3: TIBET/NEPAL Manaslu, 8156 m, climbed on 22 September. Cho Oyu, 8201 m., scheduled for October. Shishapangma, 8013 m., scheduled for October. – Harila is exceptional and extreme The experienced mountaineer Stein P. Aasheim climbed Mount Everest in the very first Norwegian expedition in 1985. He is full of admiration for Harila. – What Kristin is doing is impressive. Climbing a route up Cho Oyu, which no one else has done, raises her level from where she is now, which is already quite high, to a whole new level. The experienced Norwegian climber Stein P. Aasheim believes that Harila is about to reach a completely new level in terms of climbing. Aasheim believes Harila has a physique and an ability to acclimatise which is exceptional and extreme. He also emphasizes that Finnmarkingen handles the major challenges of organisation, such as logistics and sponsorship. Aasheim also thinks it is great that Harila highlights the efforts of the Sherpas who are with her. – It is quite obvious that she benefits greatly from two or three of the best Sherpas in the world. As far as I can tell, she praises them at every opportunity. She does not hide the fact that she is at the mercy of and grateful for the effort and expertise that the Sherpas have in this. In a couple of days, Kristin Harila and her team will now travel to base camp for the ascent of Cho Oyu.
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Kristin Harila must climb an unknown and dangerous route to break the world record – news Troms and Finnmark
