36 year old Norwegian mountaineer and Bremont Ambassador Kristin Harila has sadly had to retreat from her ‘Bremont 14 Peaks’ expedition this season due to challenges receiving permits to complete the final 2 mountains in Tibet, namely Cho Oyu and Shishapangma.
‘Bremont 14 Peaks’ is a monumental challenge: to climb all 14 mountain peaks above 8,000m in one season and Kristin was looking set to beat the world record of 6 months and 6 days. Each of the 14 peaks take intrepid mountaineers into the ‘death zone’, so-called because human life cannot exist as at that altitude.
Kristin has defied expectations and placed herself firmly in mountaineering history books by racing through 12 of the 14 highest peaks on earth this season, setting new world records as she climbed:
- The fastest woman to summit Everest and Lhotse in 8.5 hours.
- The fastest person ever to summit the High Fives: Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu with the Nepalese mountaineer Dawa Ongju Sherpa
- The fastest person ever to summit Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu with the Nepalese mountaineer Dawa Ongju Sherpa.
Bremont stands by Kristin in support and awe of her achievements to date. Nick English, Co-Founder of Bremont, comments: “Whilst we are deeply saddened for Kristin that she couldn’t complete the Bremont 14 Peaks challenge this season we have been utterly amazed by her achievements to date. She is a true inspiration to the mountaineering community and all of us here at Bremont. She has significantly raised the profile of female mountaineers on a global stage whilst testing herself far beyond endurance, Bremont’s mantra and maxim."
Kristin has worn the Bremont S300 throughout her challenge, forming a critical part of her equipment. The Bremont S300 has become synonymous with extreme exploration having already proven its reliability and durability supporting Nims Purja MBE as he undertook ‘Bremont Project Possible’ in 2019, completing all 14 Peaks in one season.
Kristin has shared this statement:
“It is over for now.
Right now, I am just trying to come to terms with the past 6 months and especially all the efforts that we have gone through to try and get the permits for the last two mountains Cho Oyu and Shishapangma.
We have left no stone unturned in this process and have exhausted every possible avenue to make this happen, but unfortunately due to reasons out of our control we were unable to get the permits in time.
As you all know I have put everything I have on the line to make this happen and falling short with just 2 peaks left due to factors out of my control is something I am struggling to process right now.
It’s been an amazing journey. But it has also been a rollercoaster with many ups and downs, and a lot of hard work in between. The most difficult part has for sure been in between the climbing. I am so happy to have had Field Productions with me, documenting everything. The whole story will be told on film when it is ready.
In times of adversity, one has to find inner strength, which is why I am letting you all know that I am coming back, and I WILL complete this record next year.
I am going to need to find a way to make this happen financially, but getting so close now, only makes me even more determined to complete this once and for all!
Right now, I am heading back to Norway to be with my family and close ones.
I am grateful beyond words for the messages of support and encouragement that I have been getting.
I am thankful that my team with Pasdawa Sherpa and Dawa Ongju Sherpa are safe and sound after summiting 12 of the 14 peaks.
Thank you to all my friends, my family, my supporters, and sponsors that have kept me going through out this process. Thank you Bremont Watches for being the title sponsor of #Bremont14Peaks, this expedition would not have been possible without their support.
Love from Kathmandu”
KRISTIN’S BREMONT 14 PEAKS:
PHASE 1: NEPAL
- Annapurna I, 8091 m, summited on April 28
- Dhaulagiri, 8167 m, summited on 8 May
- Kanchenjunga, 8586 m, summited on 15 May
- Mount Everest, 8849 m, summited on 22 May
- Lhotse, 8516 m, summited on 22 May
- Makalu, 8463 m, summited on 27 May
PHASE 2: PAKISTAN
- Nanga Parbat, 8126 m, summited on 1 July
- K2, 8611 m., summited on 22 July
- Broad Peak, 8051 m, summited on 28 July
- Gasherbrum II, 8080 m, summited on 8 August
- Gasherbrum I, 8035 m, summited on 11 August
PHASE 3: TIBET/NEPAL
- Manaslu, 8156 m, summited on 22 September
- Cho Oyu, 8201 m, to be summited
- Shishapangma, 8013 m, to be summited
KRISTIN’S PREVIOUS SUMMITS & EXPEDITIONS:
2015:
- Kilimanjaro, Afrika. 5,895m (Seven Summits)
2019:
- Lobuche East, Nepal. 6,119m
- Dhaulagiri VII (Putha Hiunchuli), Nepal. 7,246m 2020:
- Aconcagua, Argentina. 6,961m (Seven Summits)
- Co Adolfo Calle, Argentina. 4,270m
- Pico Vallecitos, Argentina. 5,370m
- Finnmarksvidda solo skiing, 500 km from Alta, Kautokeino and Vadsø. 18 days. 2021:
- Mount Everest, Nepal. 8,849m (Seven Summits)
- Lhotse, Nepal. 8,516m (fastest woman from summit Mount Everest to summit of Lhotse, 12 hours) • Island Peak, Nepal. 6,189m
- Ama Dablam, Nepal. 6,812m
ABOUT KRISTIN
Kristin Harila is a professional athlete from Norway. A former cross-country skier, Kristin currently runs her own guiding company and leads ski expeditions in the arctic. In May 2021, she set a world record becoming the fastest woman to climb Mount Everest and Lhotse in less than twelve hours. Her success in previous expeditions and summit attempts has inspired her to embark upon her latest challenge, ‘Bremont 14 Peaks’, a monumental effort to become the first woman in history and the second person ever to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000m in just 6 months. Only 44 people in history have summited all 14 peaks.
The Supermarine Collection
Tried and tested by many Bremont Ambassadors, the Supermarine collection is the go-to tool watch for any adventure. Built with an extremely robust Trip-Tick® case construction designed to protect its mechanical movement, the Supermarine comes in several iterations based on case size and water resistance. The S300 series is a 40mm dive watch with water resistance rating of 300m, providing a compact chronometer capable of withstanding the earth’s most hostile conditions.
