Who Will Become the First Woman to Climb All 14 8,000-Meter Peaks?

Text by Tetsuhiko Endo

Five months ago, at the start of the high altitude climbing season, the Internet was abuzz with speculation regarding who would become the first woman to summit all 14 of the world’s 8000 meter peaks. Would it be the Austrian Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, the Spaniard Edurne Pasabán, or the Italian Nives Meroi? Each woman entered the season with 11 peaks to her name and it seemed like a sure bet that one would walk away with the title no later than early 2010. The problem was, everyone was so busy picking their ponies, they completely overlooked the dark horse.

Until now.

Last Monday, Korean Oh Eun-Sun topped out on Gasherbrum I, her 13th 8000er, completing one of the most impressive single season, mountaineering hit-lists in recent memory. Since March, she has climbed Kangchenjunga, Dhaulagiri and Nanga Parbat, often with large support crews including helicopters to ferry her between base camps. Eun-Sun’s bold campaign has slingshotted her into the lead in the race to become the first woman to climb all the 8000ers.

With the Karakorum climbing season all but finished, the home stretch will come this autumn in the Himalaya. Kaltenbrunner is effectively out of the race after being thwarted by bad weather on K2 last week and heading home. Meroi’s chances are fading, as well, with three mountains still left to climb. Pasabán has a chance. She needs Annapurna and Shisha Pangma, both of which she could try come September.

Although it’s difficult to place odds on a sport that is as unpredictable as mountaineering, with a one mountain advantage on her closest competitor and only Annapurna left to summit, you have got to like the Korean’s chances.

Comments

[Quản lý Nhân sự]

It's illegal to run. If you run it during the spring, summer or fall you will get in trouble.

[Kraig]

Annapurna is one of the toughest of the 8000m peaks to climb however, so she's not a shoo-in just yet. It may be second to K2 in terms of difficulty, despite being of lesser altitude.

Edurne has hopefully recovered from her injuries in the Himalaya this past spring and may be ready to go for the fall.