Nepal: Record-setting female climbers vow to continue scaling heights

Kathmandu [Nepal], May 30 : Photojournalist by profession turned mountaineer Purnima Shrestha from Gorkha, Nepal became the first in her profession to climb six mountains above 8,000 metres high in the Himalayan nation.
Kristin Harila from Norway who has set out on a mission to climb all 14 peaks above 8000 meters in shorter time achieved nearly half of her target by successfully climbing six mountains in 24 days.
Both the mountaineers were welcomed at Kathmandu's Tribhuwan International Airport by friends and family members.
"It's possible for women also to climb all the 14 mountains if they want to," Harila told ANI after receiving the welcome.
She now plans to go Pakistan to climb the Mount K2 and climb all the 14 peaks within 6 months registering herself as the first woman to do so.
"The plan is to climb all the 14, so we are going to Pakistan in some days and would complete it in 6 months," Harila added.
She climbed Mt. Annapurna on 28 April, Dhaulagiri on 8 May, Kanchenjunga on 14 May, Everest and Lhotse on 22 May, Makalu on 27 May. With these expeditions, she has set the record of fastest climber to scale six mountains in just 29 days.
Harila's team has also broken one of the records of fastest climb by Nirmal Purja (Nims Dai) who climbed five peaks above 8,000m in 29 days. She also set a world record becoming the fastest woman to climb Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse in less than 12 hours.
Purnima Shrestha, a photojournalist by profession, also has continued to set records year by year. Last year she became the first Nepali woman mountaineer to stand atop Mount Dhaulagiri, world's eighth highest peak.
Prior to that Shrestha had already climbed world's tallest peak Mt Everest, Mt Manaslu and Mt Amadablam and Mt Annapurna-I.
"For me this comes as surprise because I hail from a different profession. Mountaineering wasn't the activity in which I was involved. But this is the greatest achievement I ever have got in my life," Shrestha told ANI.
"There are some mountains above 8,000 m that I haven't climbed yet but from Nepali side I want to climb the Mt. Cho Oyu in the coming autumn season. I would certainly climb it if got chance with my organizer 8K Expeditions," Shrestha added.
With an aim to climb one mountain per year, the alpinist turned photojournalist would be preparing for her next expedition which yet would set out another record. Standing beside Pasang Lamhu, Shrestha already has registered herself as one of the two women from Nepal to stand atop the Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m) in the year 2021.
Her expedition organizer, 8K expeditions already has set off the plans for her upcoming summit.
"China has closed the route to Cho Oyu because of COVID-19 which has barred a lot of athlete and climbers to achieve their aim of climbing all the 14 peaks which also includes Purnima. If we could make a normal route from Nepal side then it would contribute for the Government of Nepal as well as benefit others and we are working on this plan," said Lakpa Sherpa from the 8K expeditions.