Veikka Gustafsson

Veikka Gustafsson is a 41-year-old professional mountain climber. Veikka lives in Kirkkonummi, Finland. Veikka (pronounced "Vey-ka") began his climbing career in 1986 by climbing Europe's tallest mountain, Mont Blanc in France. Since then his adventures have taken him to all fourteen 8,000-meter peak summits without supplemental oxygen. He is the ninth person in the world to do this. Veikka has also conquered the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest, three times.

Finland's and Lapland's winter seasons are close to the conditions of the Antarctica. Veikka has done a lot of different outdoor activities around mountain climbing guiding, fishing and hunting in Finland and abroad but mainly in Russia and in the neighboring countries of Finland. Veikka has on many occasions acted as an expedition leader on different expeditions around the globe, both in hot and cold climates but mainly in the colder environment.

Veikka is also well known publically in Finland and is used to working behind and in front of cameras. Veikka has had his own travelling show on Finish television several years ago so we welcome Veikka as a "semi professional" in filming and taking photographs.
Veikka has been involved with Cannon in Finland since 1994 when he climbed K2 with Ralf Dujmovits.

VEIKKA'S CLIMBING CV

Notable ascents in the Himalayas:

  • Mount Everest (8846m), Spring 93 (with oxygen)
  • Pik Kommunisma (7495m) and Pik Korsenevskaja (7105m), Spring 93. 
  • Dhaulagiri (8167m), Autumn 93.
  • K2 (8611m) Summer 94, Abruzzi ridge.
  • Lhotse (8501m), Spring 95
  • Makalu (8483m), Spring 95, alpine.
  • Pik Korsenevskaja (7105m),Pik Kommunisma (7495m) 36 hours up and down, Autumn 95.  
  • Mount Everest (8846m), Spring 96. Reached 8600 metres.
  • Mount Everest (8846m), Spring 97. First Finn to the summit without extra oxygen.
  • Broad Peak (8047m), Summer 97. To the false summit.
  • Dhaulagiri (8167m), Spring 98. Reached 7500 m.
  • Manaslu (8163 m), Spring 99.
  • Dhaulagiri (8167m), Spring 99.
  • Annapurna (8091 m), 2000. The top wasn't reached.
  • Shishapangma (8046 m), Spring 2001
  • Nanga Parbat (8125 m), Spring 2001
  • Annapurna (8091 m), 2002. Reached 7300 m.
  • Kangchenjunga, spring 2003. Reached 7300m.
  • Mount Everest 2004. Universal filming project.
  • Cho Oyu and Annapurna, (8210 m, 8091 m) spring 2005
  • Kanchenjunga (8586 m) , spring 2006
  • Gasherbrum 2 (8035 m), summer 2008
  • Gasherbrum 1 (8068 m), summer 2008. Reached 50m from the top
  • Broad Peak (8047 m), summer 2008.
  • Gasherbrum 1 (8068 m), summer 2009.

Other notable ascents:

  • Mount Vinson (5140m) and Mount Shinn, Winter 96. Mount Vinson is the highest peak on Antarctica. "Not the highest, not the most difficult but the coldest".
4 first-time conquests in Antarctica, Winter 97. Two of the peaks were previously unnamed. Ascent of Mount Gardner (4587m). One of the peaks was named Mount Sisu.