Renowned Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila, 37, is denying claims that her team bypassed a dying helper while ascending K2, one of the tallest mountains globally, during a world record attempt. Harila, who recently achieved the title of the fastest climber to conquer the world’s 14 highest peaks in just 92 days, faces allegations of insensitivity and negligence.
The controversy arose from an incident during the ascent of K2 when a local helper, Muhammad Hassan, slipped and tragically passed away on the treacherous mountain. Video footage showed climbers seemingly stepping over Hassan, fueling criticism. Two climbers who were also scaling K2 on the same day criticized the group, alleging that Hassan was treated as a “second-class human being.”
In response, Kristin Harila has vehemently denied the accusations of indifference and clarified that her team indeed halted to aid Hassan before continuing their ascent. She expressed her frustration with the spread of misinformation and the negativity directed at her, including receiving death threats.
Harila addressed the incident, stating, “This happened at the most dangerous part of the deadliest mountain in the world, and you should remember that at 8000+ metres, your survival instincts impact the decision you make.” She described the situation as occurring at a “dangerous bottleneck” on the mountain, involving challenging terrain with overhanging snow and ice.
According to Harila, she and her team made efforts to assist Hassan, emphasizing that the incident took place amid perilous circumstances. “I did not see exactly what took place, but suddenly Hassan had fallen and was hanging on the rope between two ice anchors,” she explained.
Harila and her team spent around 90 minutes attempting to rescue Hassan, but an avalanche occurred nearby, leading other climbers to descend for help. Faced with the dangerous conditions, they decided to proceed, as overcrowding in the bottleneck would further endanger the rescue operation.
Reflecting on the incident, Harila said, “I don’t think people understood the gravity of what was happening with Hassan as they were climbing, and that is why we see they are stepping over him to reach safety on the other side.” She later learned of Hassan’s death during her descent and expressed condolences to his family.
K2, often referred to as the “killer mountain,” is situated in the Karakorum mountain range and stands at a height of 8,611 meters (28,250 feet).
