Ginette Harrison Killed On Dhaulagiri
Thursday, Oct. 28, 1999

	Ginette Harrison click

The BBC and Times of London reported yesterday that British climber Ginette Harrison died in an avalanche on Nepal's 26,795-foot Dhaulagiri on October 24. Harrison was 41. Harrison, a physician and mountaineer with at least four 8,000-meter summits to her credit, was killed with a Sherpa climbing partner on the upper mountain.

Harrison, from the UK, had recently moved to Massachusetts with her American husband, Gary Pfisterer, who was leading the 11-member climbing team on the Dhaulagiri expedition.

Harrison was regarded as one of the strongest female climbers in the world. Until her death, she had been the first living woman to climb 28,170-foot Kangchenjunga and survive the descent.

"I never got the chance to meet her," said American climber Chris Boskoff, who has climbed four 8,000 meter peaks. "She had an awesome record, and everyone says she was tremendously strong and a wonderful person. What a tragic turn of events."

Harrison had been the second British woman to climb Mount Everest. Harrison had also climbed the fifth and sixth highest mountains, Makalu (8,463m) and Cho Oyu (8,201m). She had stated an ambition to be the first woman to climb all 14 8,000m peaks in the world.