Kristin Harila is a Norwegian-Northern Saami mountaineer born on 28 March 1986, who holds the world record for the fastest ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders.
A former cross-country skier, Harila began her high-altitude climbing campaign in 2022. On 27 July 2023, she and climbing partner Tenjen Sherpa summited all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in just 92 days, shattering the previous record of six months and six days set by Nirmal Purja. The achievement required exceptional physical endurance, precise logistics and stable weather windows across the Himalaya and Karakoram. Harila’s record underscores both the increasing professionalisation of high-altitude mountaineering and the critical role of Sherpa climbers in modern expeditions to the world’s highest summits.
Her record-breaking season was covered in our Field Notes piece on rare mountaineering achievements and deep-sea discoveries.
