After 13 years, South Korean Oh Eun-sun, 44, is the first woman to have scaled the world's 14 mountains over 26,247 feet (8,000 meters) after summiting Annapurna on Tuesday.
The president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, Ang Tshering, told the Associated Press that they recognized her achievement, however, The New York Times that Oh's rival, Edurne Pasaban of Spain, challenged her summit of Mount Kangchenjunga last year. , a legendary Himalayan mountaineering journalist, said last week that Oh's ascent is indeed disputed and will require an investigation.
South Korea's landscape is 70 percent mountains, and given their propensity toward celebrating athletic achievements with nationwide gusto (remember Olympic figure skater Kim Yu-na?), we're sure to see more mountaineering stars coming from the country.
— Jennifer L. Schwartz