Kristin Harila (born 28 March 1986) is a Norwegian-Northern Saami mountaineer and former cross-country skier. During 2022âÂÂ2023, she set multiple speed records for the ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders with climbing partner Tenjen Sherpa. On 27 July 2023, she and Tenjen set the new world record for the fastest ascent of all 14 8000m peaks in 92 days. The previous record was held by Nirmal Purja, who summited the mountains in 6 months and 6 days.
In 2022, Harila started her first attempt to climb the 14 highest peaks in the world, by summiting Annapurna on 28 April. Mount Everest and Lhotse were the fourth and fifth mountains in her attempt. On 22 May, she summited both peaks, setting a new record in moving between the peaks in less than 8.5 hours. She summited the 12th mountain in the attempt, Manaslu, on 22 September. With over 5 weeks left to set a new world record, the attempt was halted by COVID-19 restrictions.
During the attempt Harila also set the world record in climbing the world's five highest mountains in 69 days â Mount Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu.
In spring 2023, Harila decided to make another attempt at breaking Nirmal Purja's record. A crucial part of her team was her climbing partner, Tenjen Lama Sherpa.
On 26 April 2023, Harila and Tenjen summited Shishapangma, marking the start of Harila's second attempt. During the expedition, Harila and her team summited Mount Everest and Lhotse on the same day, beating her own record from the year before, this time moving between the two peaks in approximately 8 hours.
Harila and Tenjen summited K2, the 14th and final mountain of the expedition, on 27 July 2023, and by doing so set a new world record for fastest ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders in 92 days.
Whilst ascending K2 in 2023, Harila and her team found a man hanging upside down in the bottleneck-section of the mountain in the middle of the night. He was a porter for Lela Peak Expeditions, a Pakistani guiding company, and was not a part of HarilaâÂÂs team. They spent hours trying to save him, but the conditions were too hard. The Pakistani government filed a report saying that no one was to blame for the accident, but Lela Peak Expeditions were banned from operating in Pakistan for two years following the event.
On 7 October 2023 several climbers were caught in an avalanche on Shishapangma in China. It was later confirmed that Tenjen Lama Sherpa was killed in the avalanche. Harila established the Lama Sherpa Foundation in memory of her climbing partner. The goal of the foundation is to continue working for the causes Tenjen was passionate about, including awareness and recourses to porters, guides, cooks and other workers in the Himalayas who work on mountaineering expeditions.
As a cross-country skier, Harila placed 24th and 25th in the Norwegian championships in 2006. She represented the club IL Polarstjernen.