Veikka Gustafsson

{{Short description|Finnish mountain climber, summiter of all eight-thousanders}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Veikka Gustafsson

| image = Veikka_Gustafsson.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Veikka Gustafsson at SuomiAreena in Pori, 2014

| birth_name = Eero Veikka Juhani Gustafsson

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1968|1|14}}

| birth_place = Espoo, Finland

| death_date =

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| nationality = Finnish

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| known_for = Summited all 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen

| occupation = Mountaineer

}}

Eero Veikka Juhani Gustafsson, known as Veikka Gustafsson (born 14 January 1968) is a Finnish climber who has ascended all 14 eight-thousanders without using supplemental oxygen. He is also known for presenting a TV travel show on Finnish television.

Climbing career

In 1993, Gustafsson became the first Finnish person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In the spring of 1997, he also became the first Finn to have climbed to the summit without using bottled oxygen. Gustafsson is the 17th person to have summited all 14 of the highest peaks above 8,000 metres,{{cite web |url=https://explorersweb.com/everest_k2/news.php?id=18539 |title=GI summits – Veikka Gustafsson completes the 14x8000ers list! |publisher=Explorersweb.com |access-date=26 July 2022}} and the 9th to do so without using supplemental oxygen.{{cite web |url=https://explorersweb.com/stats/news.php?id=18964 |title=Best of ExplorersWeb 2009 Awards: the 14x8000ers |publisher=Explorersweb.com |access-date=26 July 2022}} Research published in 2022 estimated that Gustafsson is one of only three climbers to have stood on the "true" geographical summit of all the eight-thousanders, and he was the second to do so after American climber, Ed Viesturs.{{cite web | magazine=Alpinist | url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web22c/newswire-8000er-records-challenged-by-photographic-research | date=20 July 2022 | accessdate=3 August 2022 | title=Researchers challenge historical records for 8000-meter peaks | first=Derek | last=Franz}}

Eight-thousander ascents

Mount Everest (8848 m), spring 1993, with bottled oxygen{{cite book|last1=Leino|first1=Eino|last2=Gustafsson|first2=Veikka|title=Kohti huippua|date=1995|publisher=WSOY|location=Porvoo|isbn=9510205753|pages=93–96}}
Dhaulagiri (8167 m), fall 1993{{cite book|last1=Leino|first1=Eino|last2=Gustafsson|first2=Veikka|title=Kohti huippua|date=1995|publisher=WSOY|location=Porvoo|isbn=9510205753|pages=135–137}}
K2 (8611 m), summer 1994{{cite book|last1=Leino|first1=Eino|last2=Gustafsson|first2=Veikka|title=Kohti huippua|date=1995|publisher=WSOY|location=Porvoo|isbn=9510205753|pages=160–163}}
Lhotse (8516 m), spring 1995{{cite book|last1=Leino|first1=Eino|last2=Gustafsson|first2=Veikka|title=Kohti huippua|date=1995|publisher=WSOY|location=Porvoo|isbn=9510205753|pages=203–211}}
Makalu (8483 m), spring 1995{{cite book|last1=Leino|first1=Eino|last2=Gustafsson|first2=Veikka|title=Kohti huippua|date=1995|publisher=WSOY|location=Porvoo|isbn=9510205753|pages=213–216}}
Mount Everest (8848 m), spring 1997, without bottled oxygen
Manaslu (8163 m), spring 1999
Dhaulagiri (8167 m), spring 1999
Shishapangma (8013 m), spring 2001
Nanga Parbat (8125 m), summer 2001
Mount Everest (8848 m), spring 2004
Cho Oyu (8201 m), 22 April 2005
Annapurna (8091 m), 12 May 2005
Kanchenjunga (8586 m), 14 May 2006
Gasherbrum II (8035 m), 8 July 2008
Broad Peak (8051 m), 31 July 2008
Gasherbrum I (8080 m), 26 July 2009

Other notable ascents/attempts

In the Alps:

Frendo ridge
Bonatti pillar
Les Courtes, north wall (Swiss route)

In the Pamir:

Pik Kommunisma (7495 m) and Pik Korsenevskaja (7105 m), summer 1993{{cite book|last1=Leino|first1=Eino|last2=Gustafsson|first2=Veikka|title=Kohti huippua|date=1995|publisher=WSOY|location=Porvoo|isbn=9510205753|pages=107–116}}
Pik Kommunisma (7495 m). Basecamp to basecamp in 36 h.

In the Himalayas:

Mount Everest (8848 m), spring 1996. Reached 7500 m.
Broad Peak (8 047 m), 1997. Reached ridge between Main summit and Rocky summit.{{Cite news |url=https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000006401679.html |title=Veikka Gustafsson on kiivennyt vuorelle, josta Lotta Hintsa pelastettiin – nostaa hattua yritykselle ja varoittaa talvikiipeilyn haasteista |date=2020-02-09|access-date=2020-02-10}}
Annapurna (8091 m), spring 2000. Failed to summit.
Annapurna (8091 m), spring 2002. Reached 7300 m.
Kangchenjunga (8 586 m), spring 2003. Reached 7100 m.

Elsewhere:

Mount Vinson (4892 m), winter 1996. The tallest mountain in Antarctica.
Four first ascents on the Antarctica, winter 1997. Summited Mount Gardner (4587 m) and an unnamed peak, later unofficially named Mount Sisu (4300 m).

Personal life

Veikka Gustafsson leases the Porkkala Lighthouse and arranges trips there.{{cite web |title=Satavuotias majakka seisoi Suomenlahden tyrskyissä autiona 2000-luvun alussa, sitten tunnettu vuorikiipeilijä eksyi luodolle – nyt siellä on vieraillut astronauttikin |url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11697649 |publisher=Yle |date=15 December 2020 |access-date=27 July 2022 |language=fi}}

Notes

In 2008 mid-July Veikka Gustafsson and Fernando Gonzalez-Rubio attempted Gasherbrum I (8068m), but the two were forced to abort the summit bid just before 100m due to bad weather (snowstorm, total whiteout).

{{Citation

| title = Pakistan extra update: Broad Peak SUMMITS, Veikka tops out no 13; BP, G1, G2 and G4 in full summit pushes

| url = http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=17450

| access-date = 2008-11-30 }} On 26 July 2009 he prevailed in a second attempt, along with Japanese climber Kazuya Hiraide and Bulgarian climbers Nilolay Petkov, Doychin Boyanov, Boyan Petrov and Nikolay Valkov.

{{Citation

| title = GI and GII 2009: Bulgarian GI and GII Expedition Summits (Veikka summited too)

| url = http://www.everestnews.com/pak2009/g200907262009.htm

| access-date = 2009-07-27 }}