Christine Jensen Burke
 Christine Jensen Burke | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | New Zealand and Australia |
| Born |
2 July 1968 New Zealand |
| Climbing career | |
| Type of climber | high altitude |
| Known for | First New Zealand and Australian woman to climb K2. First New Zealand and Australian woman to successfully climb the Seven Summits (Carstensz list), and first and fourth respectively to complete Kosciuszko list |
| Major ascents | Everest, K2 (2nd highest), Lhotse (4th), Makalu (5th), Cho-Oyu (6th), Manaslu (8th), Gasherbrum 1 (11th), Gasherbrum 2 (13th) |
Christine Jensen Burke is a dual nationality New Zealander and Australian. As at November 2014, 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.
She is the first New Zealand or Australian woman to climb the highest mountains on each of the seven continents (Carstensz list) in a feat known as the Seven Summits.[1][2][3]
Christine commenced the 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]
Since climbing Mount Everest, Christine has climbed 7 other 8,000m peaks, including K2 on 26 July 2014. Her 8,000m summits are listed below:
2011 Mt Everest
2013 Lhotse, Gasherbrum 2, Gasherbrum 1, and Manaslu
2014 Makalu, K2, and Cho-Oyu
Her attempt to climb Carstensz Pyramid in West Papua in August 2012 was thwarted by persons claiming to be freedom fighters, who held her expedition team captive for 16 hours soon after they arrived in West Papua, and then ordered them off the mountain.[4]
Christine 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.
Aside from her mountaineering endeavours, she is an Ambassador for The Eggtober Foundation, a charitable foundation which raises funds for gynaecological cancers, and helps to promote and raise funds for the Australian Himalayan Foundation. She also engages in private charitable initiatives in Nepal.
She is currently a full-time adventurer and public speaker.
References
- 1 2 "NZ woman climbs seven highest peaks". NZ News. 3 News. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ↑ "First for climber". The Timaru Herald. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ↑ "HIGH achiever". The Timaru Herald. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ↑ "West Papua militia free NZ climbers". SMH. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
External links
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