A Norwegian who just became the fastest climber to scale all the world’s 14 highest mountains announced she was retiring from climbing high peaks on Saturday upon her return to Nepal. Kristin Harila along with her Sherpa guide Tenjin were given a hero's welcome at the Kathmandu airport where hundreds including mountaineers, government officials and well-wishers gathered to welcome them back with cheers and flower garlands. Harila and Tenjin scaled Mount K2 in Pakistan last week, thus concluding the climb of the 14th peak — that is more than 8000 meters (about 26,000 feet) — high in 92 days, shattering the previous record of 189 days.
A Norwegian woman and her Nepali guide set the record Thursday for the fastest summit of all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre (26,000-feet) mountains, their team said in a statement.Purja is currently attempting to set the record for the fastest ascent of all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen.
Summiting the world's 8,000-metre mountains is the ultimate bucket list dream for ambitious climbers, a feat managed by fewer than 50 people, and Sanu Sherpa is the first to do it twice.
Former farmer Sanu Sherpa was 31 when he completed his first mountain climb, just a year after he began working in the mountaineering world; now 47, he fancies being a regular tourist.