The South Korean climber who claims to be the first woman to have scaled the world’s 14 highest mountains has returned from her final summit and dismissed allegations that she cheated.

Oh Eun-Sun’s 2009 ascent of Mount Kanchenjunga has been disputed by fellow mountaineers, including her chief rival for the record, Spain’s Edurne Pasaban, who questioned whether she made it to the top.

“I am really sad that it has come to this,” said a visibly tired Oh in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu after conquering her last peak, the 8,091-metre Annapurna, on April 27.

“I have video footage taken by the Korean Broadcasting Service where I can prove my ascent of Kanchenjunga.

“It is quite unfortunate the comments were made after such a success and a good moment.”

Ms Pasaban alleges she was told by Ms Oh’s sherpas that the South Korean had not reached the summit of Kanchenjunga, but Ms Oh rejects all the charges.

“I believe that according to Pasaban, some sherpas told her that I hadn’t climbed Kanchenjunga,” Oh said.

“But no names of the sherpas have been mentioned. Why?”

A picture provided by Ms Oh, 44, shows her standing on a bare rock apparently on the peak of Kanchenjunga on the Nepal-Tibet border, but those taken by Ms Pasaban’s team on the summit shows them standing on snow.

Ms Pasaban, 36, conquered Annapurna last month, leaving her with just one more mountain to climb.

She is currently in Tibet preparing to tackle Shisha Pangma – the lowest of the 14 peaks over 8,000 metres.

“When I reached the top of Annapurna I felt as if the world was at my feet,” Ms Oh said.

“I am tired of climbing. I just want to rest at home for a few years now.”

Record disputed

But her ascent of Kanchenjunga, and therefore her claim to the record, will be registered as disputed, experts say.

“Oh will be credited for her climb to Kanchenjunga but the ascent will be marked as disputed,” said climbing historian Elizabeth Hawley in Kathmandu.

Ms Hawley leads a team that compiles the Himalayan Database, an authoritative account of all major climbs in the Nepal Himalayas.

“I met Oh Eun-Sun today. She said she had video footage to prove her ascent on Kanchenjunga and that she would send me some still photos,” she said.

“Her account was completely different from Pasaban’s so I really don’t know who is right.”

Ms Oh faces further criticism because a Spanish climber died on Annapurna at the same time Ms Oh’s expedition was on the mountain and the dead man’s team leader alleges the South Korean and her team did nothing to help.

“We were hungry and exhausted on our way down. We wanted to help him, out of humanity, but we faced our own limitations,” Ms Oh said.

Fewer than 20 people have been to the top of the 14 mountains over 8,000 metres, all of which are in Asia’s Himalaya and Karakoram ranges.

Reinhold Messner from Italy became the first person to achieve the feat in 1986.