ISLAMABAD: Samina Baig and Mirza Ali are a hop away from becoming the first Pakistani siblings to climb all the seven highest peaks in the world.

The two climbers from the Shimshal valley of Hunza got closer to their dream when they summated Mt McKinley, Alaska.

“Samina and Mirza Ali became the first Pakistani climbers to reach the top of the 6,168 metres high peak at 7:20pm on June 28,” said Karrar Haidri, member executive council Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP).

The duo is part of a six-member Adventure Diplomacy Group on the seven summits mission. The brother and sister are on a climbing adventure to conquer the seven highest peaks in the seven continents.

While Samina has conquered five of the highest peaks across the world, including the Mount Everest in May 2013, Mirza Ali is yet to reach the top of the highest mountain on the planet.

Related: Climbing duo to attempt sixth peak in Seven Summits mission

He was going to attempt the 8,848 metres peak this summer but the plan got cancelled after the tragedy on Mt Everest when an avalanche killed 16 porters and injured four others this summer season.

Samina and Mirza Ali had shared their plan of climbing Mt McKinley that is mostly ice and where the temperature is extreme along with numerous other challenges.

“The elevation gain of the peak is as high as Mount Everest. The only difference is that there will be no porters to carry the gear and we will have to climb with it all the way to the top,” Mirza Ali had explained before leaving for this challenge. The expedition took three weeks to reach the top of Mt McKinley.

Carrying the gear was the least of their concern. The changing climate made climbing extremely dangerous, Mirza Ali had said.

In March 2014, Samina and Mirza Ali reached the top of the 4,884 metres high Mount Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak in Indonesia.

Also read: Seven defining moments for the Pakistani woman

The climbing duo made history in December 2013 when they climbed Mt Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in South America. In January, they conquered the highest peak, Mt Vinson, in Antarctica and then Mount Kilimanjaro 5,895 metres high in Tanzania in February.

The group intends to fly to Russia after Alaska where they will push to capture the highest mountain in Europe, Elbrus, 5,642 metres tall, which would bring their seven summit adventure to an end.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2014