Kristin Harila has decided to stop her attempt to trek solo to the South Pole. The Norwegian Sámi mountaineer sustained a back injury early in the expedition and has been experiencing increasingly severe pain.

– It has been a fantastic and incredibly beautiful journey. It has exceeded all my expectations for this mythical continent. I’m very grateful to have made it this far and to have experienced so much of the journey. It has definitely left me wanting more, says Kristin Harila.

Since December 8, Harila has been pulling all her equipment and provisions on a sled. She managed to cover 700 kilometers of the 1,140-kilometer journey, making it two-thirds of the way to the South Pole before being forced to stop due to back problems  

– Choosing to end the expedition after 20 days was a very difficult decision. Part of me wants to continue this adventure. The other part is trying to listen to the advice of doctors and think long-term, says Harila.

After a tough start with a lot of deep snow, I have found my rhythm and my own pace. Doing long, hard days suits me very well. The plan was, as I managed toward the end, to do long daily marches, some over 50 kilometers, with an average of 48 kilometers over the past seven days. But my back problems now make me see no choice but to stop. I had hoped the pain would subside, but it won’t let go,” says Harila.

Harila has also run out of painkillers, making it both very painful and highly risky to continue the expedition.  

– The silver lining is that I can cheer for all the other Norwegians, especially the incredibly strong women, trekking solo to the South Pole this season. I’m crossing my fingers for Hege Victoria, and for Karen, who is only 22 years old and doing an amazing job. I’m also very impressed by Arne-Kristian, says Harila.

The goal of the expedition was to raise awareness around the work and mission of the Lama Sherpa Foundation. The foundation, currently being established, is named after Kristin Harila’s close friend Tenjen “Lama” Sherpa. Together, they set a world record in 2023 by climbing the 14 highest peaks in the world, all over 8,000 meters, in just 92 days. Tenjen Lama Sherpa tragically died in an avalanche a few weeks later while supporting another expedition.

– 2025 will be an incredibly exciting year for both me and the foundation. We will begin our work, especially collaborating with other talented individuals and organizations that share our goals, says Harila.

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