In the unforgiving heights of the world’s tallest mountains, where death lurks behind every avalanche and oxygen becomes precious, two souls from different worlds found each other.
One was a Norwegian woman from the flatlands who discovered her calling in the peaks. The other was a Nepali man who never went to school but became one of the world’s most skilled high-altitude climbers. Together, they would break records and forge a bond that transcended language barriers, cultural differences, and even death itself.
The Sherpa Who Never Looked Back
Tenjen Sherpa’s story begins not in the famous Khumbu region beneath Mount Everest, where most celebrated Sherpa climbers are born, but in the remote village of Walung in the foothills of Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest mountain.
Born in 1988 as the seventh of eight brothers, he was nicknamed ‘Mantare Lama’ after the lucky number seven, having spent time at a monastery in his youth.
Life in Walung was harsh. Tenjen herded yaks and farmed potatoes on steep mountain terraces, never attending school but learning the rhythms of high-altitude life from childhood. When he was just 13 years old, he was married off a common practice in his community.
Soon after, his father abandoned the family, leaving young Tenjen to shoulder enormous responsibility. He had to help his mother care for his siblings while also supporting his wife and their two young sons.
The weight of poverty pressed down on his family like the thin air at altitude. With no formal education, Tenjen faced only two choices migrate to India as a laborer or work as a porter for the climbing expeditions that regularly passed near his village on their way to Makalu.
Even as a child, he had watched these expeditions with fascination, admiring their flashy gear and the money that local guides earned. The mountains that had shaped his childhood would become his escape route from poverty.
In 2014, Tenjen found work with Seven Summit Treks, Despite having no prior high-altitude climbing experience, Tenjen was sent on an expedition to Makalu, the mountain that had loomed over his childhood home. He reached the South Summit, displaying a natural aptitude that would define his career.
The mountains became Tenjen’s classroom. He learned quickly how to fix ropes, use crampons, manage bottled oxygen, and belay fellow climbers on dangerous sections.
In 2016, he reached the summit of Dhaulagiri, the world’s seventh-highest mountain, as part of a rope-fixing team. After that first summit, Tenjen never looked back. He successfully completed every peak he attempted, becoming one of the most reliable and sought-after high-altitude guides in Nepal.
What set Tenjen apart wasn’t just his climbing ability but his character. Unlike the stereotype of the ambitious mountaineer, he was humble and caring.
Fellow climbers remember him as someone who always put others’ safety before his own speed or glory. He represented a new generation of Nepali climbers for whom mountaineering wasn’t just dangerous work that paid well, but an adventure to be embraced and mastered.
The Norwegian Who Found Her Mountains
Kristin Harila’s journey to the world’s highest peaks began in the most unlikely placeVadsø, one of Norway’s flattest villages. Born on March 28, 1986, to a Norwegian-Northern Saami family, she initially channeled her love for the outdoors into cross-country skiing. The flat terrain of her hometown seemed to offer little preparation for what would become her life’s calling.
For years, Kristin followed a conventional path, working in management while pursuing winter sports as a hobby. It wasn’t until 2015, at age 29, that she climbed her first mountain.
That experience awakened something profound within hera realization that the vertical world of high-altitude climbing was where she belonged.
The transformation wasn’t immediate. Kristin continued her management career until 2019, when she made a life-changing decision. She resigned from her secure job to pursue what many would consider an impossible dream: to climb the world’s 14 highest mountains faster than anyone in history.
Her first trip to Nepal in 2019 was a revelation.
“The Himalayas are beyond beautiful, and the peace you feel there is unmatched,” she would later recall. “The Sherpa community was very welcoming. They have a deep respect for the mountains, nature, and their traditions, and I felt very grateful to be part of that world.”
Kristin
What followed was an intensive period of mountain after mountain, record after record. Kristin’s approach to climbing was methodical and determined.
She wasn’t just seeking personal achievement; she was driven by a vision of what mountaineering could becomes afer, more inclusive, and more respectful of the people who make high-altitude climbing possible.
When Two Worlds Collided
Kristin first saw Tenjen in 2022, but they didn’t properly meet until March 2023.
Despite the language barrier he spoke no English, and she didn’t speak Nepali or Sherpa something clicked immediately.
“He was kind and caring, but also quiet and reserved,” Kristin remembers. “You could feel his warmth even without words. There was a strong, unspoken connection right away.”
Their partnership for the 14×8000 project an attempt to climb all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in record time was born from this instant understanding. “We immediately clicked it felt like we were on the same wavelength,” Kristin explains. “He was incredibly strong and straightforward, and we shared a similar work ethic. There was no fuss or unnecessary discussion, just a shared commitment to the task.”
The practical aspects of their partnership were almost eerily perfect. They were nearly the same height and weight, creating a symmetry that made them ideal climbing partners.
But it was their shared work ethic and mutual respect that truly bound them together. “We didn’t waste time on anything unnecessary. When there was a glimmer of light, we were ready to go.”
Their communication transcended language. They developed their own silent vocabulary of trust and understanding. “In many ways, we became like siblings,” Kristin recalls. “He’d call me ‘didi’ [sister], and I’d call him ‘bhai’ [brother]. That deep connection between us was natural and effortless.”
Breaking Records, Building Bonds
Throughout 2023, Kristin and Tenjen moved through the world’s highest peaks like a perfectly synchronized team. Their goal was ambitious — to break the existing record for climbing all 14 eight-thousanders in the shortest time.
Their most memorable climb together was Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain. “It was just the two of us and one more sherpa reaching the summit without fixed ropes,” Kristin recalls. “We had to rely completely on each other, and that made the experience even more meaningful.”
The quiet moments between climbs were just as important as the summits themselves. “We would sit together after a climb, just enjoying the silence, or share a meal in base camp,” Kristin says. “Waking up in the cold mornings, we’d often have our toes touching and our faces close, just trying to keep warm. Those times were peaceful and grounded.”
On July 27, 2023, they achieved the impossible. Standing on the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest and most dangerous mountain, Kristin and Tenjen had completed all 14 eight-thousanders in just 92 days shattering the previous record.
On July 27, 2023, during their ascent of K2, tragedy struck. Mohammed Hassan, a 27-year-old porter, beloved husband, and father of three young boys, fell in the Bottleneck one of the most dangerous sections of the mountain. Kristin, Tenjen, their cameraman Gabriel Tarso, and many others worked for hours in extreme conditions to try to save him. Despite their best efforts, Hassan passed away.
Kristin later released a detailed statement addressing the event, frustrated by misinformation and the hurtful sharing of graphic images without consent. She emphasised that no one was to blame, that the location was perilous beyond most people’s understanding, and that every member of their team — and others on the mountain did what they could. Her hope, she said, was that lessons would be learned about training, equipment, and respect for those who work at such dangerous altitudes.
For Kristin, the incident revealed Tenjen’s true character “I saw how Lama stayed calm and focused, even in a crisis.”
Dreams and Dedication
Beyond his climbing prowess, Tenjen was a man with simple but profound dreams. His greatest aspiration was ensuring his two sons received the education he never had. “One of Tenjen’s biggest dreams was to make sure his children received a good education,” Kristin explains. “Family and community meant everything to him, and he wanted to create a better future for them.”
Tenjen was also vocal about the challenges facing Sherpa climbers. He wanted better working conditions, fair recognition, and improved safety measures for the people who make high-altitude mountaineering possible. “Tenjen was very open about the challenges Sherpas face in high-altitude climbing. He wanted better conditions for them,” Kristin recalls.
From the beginning of their partnership, Kristin was determined to share the record with Tenjen equally. “I was determined from the beginning of the project to share the record, because I believed that Sherpas, in general, truly deserve recognition for their role in mountaineering,” she explains. This wasn’t just rhetoric it was a core belief that would later drive her to create lasting change.
The Mountain Takes Its Due
On October 7, 2023, just months after their record-breaking achievement, tragedy struck on Shishapangma, the world’s 14th-highest mountain.
Tenjen was guiding another climber when an avalanche hit at 8,000 meters on the north face. In an instant, the mountains that had given him purpose and lifted his family from poverty claimed his life. His body was never found.
For Tenjen’s family, this was another devastating blow in a series of tragedies. Two of his brothers, Norbu and Phurba, who were also climbers, had died earlier. Phurba died on Everest in spring 2023, while Norbu died during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three other brothers had died at young ages. Of the eight brothers, only the eldest remains in Walung, farming the family terraces, while the youngest, Pas Dawa, continues to work as a climbing guide.
A Grief That Echoes in the Mountains
For Kristin, losing Tenjen was devastating beyond words.
“It’s hard to believe he’s gone, especially since he hasn’t been found yet,” she says. “Every part of the journey without him feels unreal. The mountains feel emptier without his presence.”
Returning to the Himalayas without her climbing partner has been one of the most difficult challenges of her life. “It feels incredibly difficult. I feel like I see him everywhere in the mountains, and it’s heartbreaking,” she explains. “Sometimes I see other Sherpas wearing similar gear to what Tenjen used to wear. It’s a reminder of him, and it feels like his presence is still with me in some way.”
The silence of the high mountains, once a source of peace and connection, now carries the weight of memory. “His absence has made me appreciate the silence in the mountains,” Kristin reflects. “In that quiet, I feel his presence, and it’s like the mountains hold his memory.”
The Search Continues
Driven by a need for closure both for herself and for Tenjen’s family Kristin has repeatedly attempted to return to Shishapangma to search for her friend’s body. The efforts have been frustrated by bureaucratic obstacles and the challenges of high-altitude search operations.
“We’ve tried to enter Tibet four times over the past few seasons, but we’ve only managed to get in once,” she explains. “The biggest obstacles have been getting the necessary permissions and dealing with the challenges of the high altitude. Every time we’ve tried, it’s been a difficult and uncertain process.”
Even when permission wasn’t granted, Kristin continued to honor Tenjen through her journeys. “It felt good to be at Shishapangma last year, a little closer to him. Spiritually, I was hoping for peace of mind and a sense of closure.”
A Living Legacy
Perhaps the most meaningful tribute to Tenjen’s memory is the foundation Kristin created in his honor. The Tenjen Lama Sherpa Foundation focuses on improving working conditions, ensuring better safety, and offering education and training for Sherpas causes that were close to Tenjen’s heart.
“After the accident at K2, I started to think about how we can make it safer in the mountains for everybody. Too many accidents were happening that shouldn’t have,” Kristin explains. “After Lama’s death, it became clear that we needed to improve conditions for those working in the mountains.”
The foundation reflects everything Tenjen stood for hard work, care for others, and a desire for fairness. Through this work, Kristin hopes to create lasting change in the mountaineering world, ensuring that Sherpas receive the recognition, safety protections, and opportunities they deserve.
Her relationship with Tenjen’s family continues to be a source of strength and purpose. “They are like family to me, and I cherish the bond we share,” she says. “To help with education for Lama’s two boys is one of the most important things for me.”
Sharing Their Story The Decision to Publish
For a long time after Tenjen’s death, Kristin wasn’t sure she would ever be able to tell their story. The grief was overwhelming, and the ending too tragic to bear sharing. But eventually, she realized this story deserved to be told not just because of how it ended, but because of everything that came before.
In a heartfelt Instagram post announcing her decision to publish a book about their journey, Kristin wrote “It has been hard to tell For a long time, I wasn’t sure if I ever would be able to share the story and what really happened Just because it ended so sad Everything after has been my biggest nightmare and I have been so affected by what happened But it is a story that deserves to be told.”
She went on to explain that their story didn’t begin with the world record it started over four years ago with a very big dream. “In my first attempt in 2022, I reached 12 out of 14 summits beyond 8,000 meters No permit. Big setbacks. But no doubts… Let’s try again! Lama and I teamed up Together, we reached all 14 peaks in just 92 days. Fastest ever done.”
After everything that happened next, Kristin wanted to shut it all out and never speak of it again. But she came to understand that their story was about more than what they lost.
“It is also about what we built. What we shared. What we fought for. Especially Lama . What we had meant the world to me and I want that to be remembered too.”
The book represents not just a memorial to Tenjen, but a celebration of their partnership, their shared dreams, and the impact they hoped to make on the mountaineering world.
Through sharing their story, Kristin hopes to honor not only Tenjen’s memory but also the broader community of Sherpa climbers who make high-altitude mountaineering possible
Beyond the Peaks
Tenjen’s story is about more than mountaineering records or tragic endings. It’s about a man who never went to school but became a master of the world’s most challenging terrain.
It’s about someone who could have been bitter about the hand life dealt him but instead chose kindness and dedication. It’s about a partnership that transcended cultural and linguistic barriers to achieve something extraordinary.
If Tenjen were here today, Kristin knows what she would tell him: “Don’t disappear. Let’s make something good together.” And perhaps, through the foundation, the continued support of his family, and the ongoing efforts to improve conditions for Sherpa climbers, they still are making something good together.
The search for Tenjen Lama Sherpa continues not just in the physical sense of finding his body on Shishapangma’s treacherous slopes, but in the deeper mission of ensuring his values and dreams live on.
In the silence of the high mountains, where the air is thin and every breath is precious, his presence endures. And in the work being done to create a safer, more equitable mountaineering world, his legacy climbs ever higher.
Photo Credits
All photographs used in this story are credited as follows:
- Manish Maharjan, for Field Production
- Mathias Myklebust, for Field Production
- Not credited (source unknown)
- Gabriel Tarso, for Field Production
- Private Collection
- Manish Maharjan, for Field Production
- Private Collection
- Private Collection
- Gabriel Tarso, for Field Production
- Gabriel Tarso, for Field Production
- Manish Maharjan, for Field Production
- Niranjan Shrestha / AP
- Niranjan Shrestha / AP
- Private Collection
- Private Collection
- Private Collection
- Gabriel Tarso, for Field Production
- Gabriel Tarso, for Field Production
- Gabriel Tarso, for Field Production
All images are used with permission from their respective owners.
