It’s only a postponement for Kristin Harila ? The Norwegian mountaineer has in any case just given up this Friday on his attempt to climb the 14 mountains over 8,000 m on Earth in record time. And this for lack of having obtained a Chinese authorization, which proves to be essential, to climb the last two peaks in time.
“It’s over for now,” the 36-year-old Scandinavian said in an Instagram post with broken heart and teary face emojis. Only the Tibetan peaks Shishapangma (8,027 m) and Cho Oyu (8,201 m) remained to be conquered before November 4 for Kristin Harila to beat the record set in 2019 by the Nepalese Nirmal Purja. He had completed the 14 ascents in just six months and six days.
“I will complete this record next year”
But China has therefore not provided the hoped-for sesame. As a rule, the Chinese authorities have not issued a climbing permit in Tibet for several years, and the country has additionally locked its borders because of the Covid-19. “We left no stone unturned in this process and we have exhausted all possible avenues to get there, but unfortunately, for reasons beyond our control, we were unable to obtain the permits in time”, specifies Kristin Harila.
The Norwegian, who is currently in Kathmandu in Nepal, has however already made an appointment for the year 2023, during which she intends to try her luck again. “In times of adversity, you have to find the inner strength. That’s why I’m letting you all know that I’ll be back, and that I’ll complete this record next year”, concludes the mountaineer.