GILGIT: Two mountaineering teams consisting entirely of women left Skardu on Monday in an attempt to scale K2, the world’s second highest peak at 8,611 metres. One of the teams is a joint Pakistan-Italy expedition and the other comprises six women from Pakistan.

It usually takes one month to reach the K2 base camp from Skardu. The two teams hope to summit the forbidding peak sometime after July 20.

The authorities have issued a total of 175 permits to climbers aspiring to conquer K2 this summer.

The K2 season starts in July and ends on Aug 15 every year.

The members of the Pakistani team are Anum Uzair from Lahore, Shama Baqir and Bibi Sultana from Shimshal, Afzoom from Gulmit and two sisters, Siddiqa Hanif and Amina Hanif from Ghanche.

Talking to Dawn before leaving for the base camp, Shama Baqir said apart from the six climbers, her expedition had seven other members — high-altitude porters and camp staff.

She said she was confident that “we’ll be able to hoist the national flag on K2”.

The six women trained for one week at the Sadpara Mountaineering School at the beginning of this month. The expedition has been organised by the Force Command of Northern Areas.

A spokesperson for the organisers said although there was no dearth of individuals capable enough of making achievements in mountaineering, they cannot afford the hefty sums of money needed for the job.

“The FCNA has embarked on an ambitious plan to promote mountaineering and gender equality at the same time. Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the first successful ascent of K2, the FCNA has committed itself to supporting young women by equipping them with essential resources and training to summit the mighty K-2,” the spokesperson said.

Pak-Italy expedition

The joint Pakistan-Italy team comprises four climbers each from the two countries. It is led by Agostino Da Polenza and Samina Baig.

The three other members from Pakistan are Nadima, Samana and Amna Shigri.

The Pakistani women underwent rigorous training at Europe’s Alps mountains and at Rattu ski village, in Gilgit Baltistan.

The joint expedition has been organised by EvK2CNR, an organisation focusing on research in mountainous areas. The expedition was launched in Italy last month at a ceremony attended by Italy’s tourism minister Daniela Sant­anchè and Alpine Club president Antonio Montani.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2024