In an interview with FPJ’s Amit Arora, world’s fastest climber Kristin Harila shares how she thought of speed climbing 14 8,000ers and the mission behind Lama Foundation Kristin Harila and her guide Tenjen ‘Lama’ Sherpa summited all 14 8,000ers in a record 92 days in 2023.

Beginning of the  journey

Quitting a high-paying corporate  job at a top Norwegian company to chase one’s dream of climbing  mountains takes a great deal of grit and determination combined with hard work. And Harila did it. She transitioned from cross-country skiing to mountaineering, ultimately becoming the world’s fastest person to scale the tallest peaks. Her experiences shap­ed her concern for safety, particularly for local workers, laying the foundation for her Lama Foundation.

The journey was not easy. Harila’s record-breaking feats were marred by controversies. During her ascent to K2, she was accused of climbing over the dying porter on the mountainside, a charge she denies. Another time, she was accused of using choppers to transport sherpas and gear to higher camps. Her team said they used helicopters for safety reasons.

A lifelong passion

Born in 1986 in Finnmark, Norway, Harila’s love for nature was innate. “Being in the midst of mountains and in nature is a deep and integral part of me,” she says. Her mountaineering journey intensified after climbing Kilimanjaro in 2015, leading her to eventually quit her job in 2019 to climb full-time. “I climb because I love it, enjoy it, and want to inspire others,” she says. “As long as the mountains are there, people will climb them. We need to make climbing safer and more sustainable together.

“It’s hard to say why people have a certain goal or dream. There is a lot of freedom in your passions being hobbies. I feel free, alive and enjoy the time in the mountains. I just love what I do,” she says. Driven to push limits, she summited Everest and Lhotse in record time—just 12 hours—without returning to base camp. “This was achieved back-to-back without returning to base camp or removing my oxygen mask,” says Harila.  This led her to attempt and break the speed record for all 8,000ers peaks, completing 29 such summits since 2021. 

Founding the Foundation

 “In November 2024, I founded the Lama Sherpa Foundation in honor of my close friend and climbing partner, Tenjen Lama Sherpa,” Harila shares. He died in an avalanche weeks after making history.“Sherpas, porters, and mountain workers risk their lives without proper training and equipment, earning just a few dollars a week.

This must change,” Harila states. Her foundation aims to improve safety, training, and wages while fostering a stable economy for local communities reliant on mountaineering. “Expeditions create jobs and revenue. We must ensure they also provide security and fair pay,” she says.