The Conquest of the 14 Eight-Thousanders

Mountaineering is one of the most demanding and fascinating disciplines in the world, and within this world, conquering the 14 eight-thousanders, the mountains that rise above 8,000 meters above sea level, represents the ultimate challenge. Only a handful of mountaineers have managed to summit all of these peaks, joining a select group of mountain legends.

What are the 14 eight-thousanders?

The 14 eight-thousanders are the highest mountains on the planet, all located in Asia in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges. These gigantic masses of rock and ice present extreme conditions: sub-zero temperatures, hurricane-force winds, avalanches, and the feared "death zone" (above 7,000 meters, where oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life).

The list includes:

The Pioneers of the 14 Eight-Thousanders 

The first to complete this feat was the Italian Reinhold Messner, considered the greatest mountaineer in history. Between 1970 and 1986, Messner climbed all 14 without supplemental oxygen, marking an unforgettable milestone.

The list of people who have accomplished this feat reached 30 by 2024. They are:

1. Reinhold Messner (Italy)

• Period: 1970–1986 (16 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Lhotse (1986)

• Note: First person to achieve it, all without oxygen.

2. Jerzy Kukuczka (Poland)

• Period: 1979–1987 (8 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Shishapangma (1987)

• Note: Second to complete them, speed record for his time. Died on Lhotse in 1989.

3. Erhard Loretan (Switzerland)

• Period: 1982–1995 (13 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (1995)

• Note: Third in history, all without oxygen.

4. Carlos Carsolio (Mexico)

• Period: 1985–1996 (11 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Kangchenjunga (1996)

• Note: First non-European to achieve it.

5. Krzysztof Wielicki (Poland)

• Period: 1980–1996 (16 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Kangchenjunga (1996)

• Note: First winter ascent of Everest (1980).

6. Juanito Oiarzabal (Spain)

• Period: 1985–1999 (14 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Kangchenjunga (1999)

• Note: First person to repeat all of them without oxygen.

7. Sergio Martini (Italy)

• Period: 1976–2000 (24 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2000)

8. Park Young-seok (South Korea)

• Period: 1993–2001 (8 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2001)

• Note: Also completed the "Seven Summits" and the Poles.

9. Um Hong-gil (South Korea)

• Period: 1988–2001 (13 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2001)

10. Alberto Iñurrategi (Spain)

• Period: 1991–2002 (11 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Kangchenjunga (2002)

• Note: All without oxygen.

11. Han Wang-yong (South Korea)

• Period: 1994–2003 (9 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Shishapangma (2003)

12. Ed Viesturs (USA)

• Period: 1989–2005 (16 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2005)

• Note: All without oxygen.

13. Silvio Mondinelli (Italy)

• Period: 1993–2007 (14 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Broad Peak (2007)

14. Ivan Vallejo (Ecuador)

• Period: 1997–2008 (11 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Dhaulagiri (2008)

15. Denis Urubko (Kazakhstan/Poland)

• Period: 2000–2009 (9 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Makalu (2009)

16. Ralf Dujmovits (Germany)

• Period: 1990–2009 (19 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Kangchenjunga (2009)

17. Veikka Gustafsson (Finland)

• Period: 1993–2009 (16 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2009)

18. Andrew Lock (Australia)

• Period: 1993–2009 (16 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Shishapangma (2009)

19. João Garcia (Portugal)

• Period: 1993–2010 (17 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2010)

20. Piotr Pustelnik (Poland)

• Period: 1990–2010 (20 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2010)

21. Edurne Pasabán (Spain)

• Period: 2001–2010 (9 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Shishapangma (2010)

• Note: First woman to complete them (though there was controversy over Kangchenjunga).

22. Abele Blanc (Italy)

• Period: 1992–2011 (19 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Shishapangma (2011)

23. Mingma Sherpa (Nepal)

• Period: 2000–2011 (11 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Shishapangma (2011)

24. Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner (Austria)

• Period: 1998–2011 (13 years)

• Last eight-thousander: K2 (2011)

• Note: Second woman, first without oxygen.

25. Vassily Pivtsov (Kazakhstan)

• Period: 2001–2011 (10 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2011)

26. Maxut Zhumayev (Kazakhstan)

• Period: 2001–2011 (10 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2011)

27. Kim Jae-soo (South Korea)

• Period: 2000–2011 (11 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2011)

28. Nives Meroi (Italy)

• Period: 1998–2017 (19 years)

• Last eight-thousander: Annapurna (2017)

• Note: Third woman, all without oxygen alongside her husband Romano Benet.

29. Nirmal "Nims" Purja (Nepal/United Kingdom)

• Period: 2019 (6 months and 6 days)

• Last eight-thousander: Shishapangma (2019)

• Note: Absolute speed record ("Project Possible").

30. Kristin Harila (Norway)

• Period: 2023 (3 months and 1 day)

• Last eight-thousander: K2 (2023)

• Note: Women's record, surpassing Nims Purja.

The Risks and Ethics of Mountaineering

Conquering the 14 eight-thousanders isn't just a matter of strength and endurance, but also of strategy, luck and risk management. Mountains such as K2 and Annapurna have mortality rates above 20%, and every season brings tragic stories of mountaineers who never return.

In addition, in recent years controversy has grown over "altitude tourism," with mass expeditions on Everest causing congestion and litter. This has sparked debates about sustainability and the true spirit of mountaineering.

Beyond the Summits

Conquering the 14 eight-thousanders remains the ultimate dream for any mountaineer, but beyond the records, what's truly valuable is respect for the mountain and humility in the face of its power.

As Messner said: "It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves".