GILGIT: Mountaineer Naila Kiani on Sunday became the first Pakistani woman to summit 11 peaks having a height of over 8,000m in the world, her expedition team has announced.

Ms Kiani made the record following her successful summit of Nepal’s Makalu Peak, world’s fifth-highest mountain with a height of 8,485m.

According to her expedition organiser ‘Imagine Nepal’, Ms Kiani was part of the team consisting of four international climbers and as many Sherpas, which made it to the top at around 9:35am local time.

Makalu Peak, in the northeast region of Nepal, is known for its steep slopes and precarious ridges. “[It] provided a formidable challenge to the expedition,” added the statement posted on Facebook.

Mountaineer achieves the feat after summit of Nepal’s Makalu Peak

Ms Kiani also told the organisers that the team had started the descent and was at camp 3.

The expedition organisers informed Dawn that weather conditions on the mountain were adverse, but the team was safe in tents.

Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) Secretary Karrar Haidri has also confirmed the mountaineer’s record.

“She now holds the record of being the fastest Pakistani — both male and female — to have summited 11 8,000-metre peaks,” he said, adding that Ms Kiani accomplished the feat in less than three years.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Mr Haidri called her achievement “remarkable” and said the mountaineer has also become the first Pakistani woman to have summited Makalu Peak.

“Naila is grateful for all the prayers and wishes, and she gives special thanks to everyone. She also thanks Sherpa Gelgen Dai from Imagine Nepal, who has supported Naila every step of the way, making this achievement possible.”

“While celebrating this remarkable achievement, we ask for your prayers for her safe descent to basecamp and then to her family,” the ACO statement concluded.

In a video message before the summit, the mountaineer said she was sharing her achievements “to show that no matter who you are … you can accomplish your dreams”.

Ms Kiani started her summit push on May 3 after acclimatisation.

Ms Kiani, a Dubai-based Pakistani banker, an amateur boxer, and a mother of two daughters, is one of the most accomplished mountaineers of Pakistan.

In April last year, she became the first Pakistani woman to climb Nepal’s Annapurna peak, world’s 10th-highest peak standing 8,091m tall. The following month, she completed the summit of world’s highest peak, Mount Everest and became the second Pakistani woman to do so.

In July, she became the first Pakistani woman to climb the world’s ninth- and 12th-highest peaks, Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak, respectively.

Months later, Ms Kiani and Sirbaz Khan became the first Pakistani duo to summit the 8,201m-tall Cho Oyu, world’s sixth-highest peak in China’s Tibet region.

She also has the summits of Gasherbrum-I, Gasherbrum-II and K2 under her belt.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2024