Christine Jensen Burke

Christine (Chris) Jensen Burke is known for her high altitude mountaineering achievements, aside from her other achievements in law and business.

Christine Jensen Burke
Chris Jensen Burke
Personal information
NationalityNew Zealand and Australia
Born (1968-07-02) 2 July 1968
New Zealand
Climbing career
Type of climberHigh altitude
Known forFirst New Zealand and Australian woman to climb K2; first New Zealand and Australian woman to successfully climb the Seven Summits (Carstensz list); first and fourth respectively to complete Kosciuszko list
Major ascentsEverest, K2 (2nd highest), Kanchenjunga (3rd), Lhotse (4th), Makalu (5th), Cho-Oyu (6th), Manaslu (8th), Annapurna (10th), Gasherbrum 1 (11th), Gasherbrum 2 (13th)

As at May 2019, in the mountaineering sphere, she is the only New Zealand or Australian woman to reach the summit of K2, and is (unofficially) the 13th woman in the world to do so.

Since climbing Mount Everest on 20 May 2011, Burke has climbed nine other 8,000m peaks, including K2 on 26 July 2014 and Kanchenjunga on 17 May 2018. Burke's 10 x 8,000m summits are listed under 'Summits' below. There are 14 x 8,000m peaks in total.

She is also the first New Zealand or Australian woman to climb the highest mountains on each of the seven continents (Carstensz list) in an endeavour known as the Seven Summits.[1][2][3] (She completed this endeavour for a family member, who has since died.)

Burke commenced the Seven Summits endeavour by successfully reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on 6 August 2010, and completed the last of the Seven Summits (in the 'Bass' list) with her successful climb of Mount Elbrus in Russia on 25 July 2012. She completed the 'Messner' list on 15 January 2013, on successful completion of her Carstensz Pyramid climb.

She reached the summit of Mount Everest on 20 May 2011.[1]

Summits - 8,000m peaks
  • 2011
    • Mt Everest
  • 2013
    • Lhotse
    • Gasherbrum 2
    • Gasherbrum 1
    • Manaslu
  • 2014
    • Makalu
    • K2
    • Cho-Oyu
  • 2016
    • Annapurna
  • 2018
    • Kanchenjunga

Personal life

Burke is a graduate of the University of Otago in New Zealand, where she completed her undergraduate law degree in 1990, and of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, where she completed her Masters of Laws in Environmental Law in 1997.

In addition to her achievements in high altitude mountaineering, she is also a lawyer, business advisor and author of a handbook on empowerment for women and girls, 'The Power In Girls'.

Burke engages in numerous private charitable initiatives in Nepal, including fundraising for and supporting disadvantaged and trafficked women and girls.

She is married to Lakpa Sherpa, a world leading mountaineering expedition leader and mountain guide (of Expedition Base - www.expeditionbase.com) and lives in Sydney, Australia.

References
  1. "NZ woman climbs seven highest peaks". NZ News. 3 News. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. "First for climber". The Timaru Herald. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. "HIGH achiever". The Timaru Herald. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
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