GILGIT: Two Pakistani women climbers stunned the mountaineering fraternity, and brought glory to their country, on Tuesday by scaling Lhotse, the world’s fourth highest peak at 8,516 metres in Nepal.

The feat by Naila Kiani and Nadia Azad comes on the heels of another achievement by them just two days ago when they summited Mount Everest, the highest peak.

They are the first two Pakistani women climbers to have scaled the peak.

In addition, Naila Kiani had earlier climbed Nepal’s Annapurna peak this season.

Her ascent of Mount Everest was the first by a non-Nepalese climber this season.

According to Karrar Haideri, general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Ms Kiani has now become the first Pakistani woman to climb Lhotse as well as the country’s first woman to ascend six out of the 14 eight-thousanders — peaks that are 8,000 metres above sea level.

According to Imagine Nepal, Naila Kiani and Pasang Temba Sherpa, her Nepalese companion, completed the ascent of Lhotse at 8.13am local time on Tuesday.

Naila has already climbed K2, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II, all in Pakistan, before her recent achievements.

A banker by profession, she lives in Dubai and is a mother to two daughters. She is an amateur boxer as well.

Mingma G, a reputed climber from Nepal and the head of Imagine Nepal, congratulated Naila over the achievement.

Yet another Pakistani feat

Meanwhile, Nadia Azad, a British citizen of Pakistan origin, also ascended Lhotse on Tuesday. She, too, had summited Mount Everest on Sunday.

Nadia has already ascended three peaks over 8,000 metres this season. The third peak conquered by her is Annapurna, on April 15.

Nadia Azad intends to climb all five of Pakistan’s over 8,000-metre peaks this season.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2023