NINE summits, five to go. Sajid Ali Sadpara’s quest to fulfil his late father’s dream and elevate Pakistan’s name in the mountaineering world continues. With his ascent of the 8,167m Dhaulagiri in Nepal on Saturday, and remarkably without supplemental oxygen or porter support, Sajid — who aims to summit all of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres — has well and truly established himself as one of the best mountaineers anywhere. His father Mohammad Ali Sadpara, who died in an attempt to summit K2 in 2021, was a similarly accomplished climber although most of his feats were not recognised as he was part of expeditions as a high-altitude porter. Only after his death did he get the recognition he deserved. Thankfully, Sajid’s accomplishments are being celebrated. Climbing solo and without supplemental oxygen is one of the toughest challenges; Dhaulagiri, the world’s seventh highest peak, is known for its steep snow slopes. Not only did Sajid battle the elements and rarefied oxygen at those high altitudes, he also carried the necessary equipment himself.

The sport of mountaineering has picked up in the country in recent years. There are three other Pakistani climbers looking to scale peaks in Nepal this week, with Naila Kiani and Sirbaz Khan attempting to reach the summit of Kanchenjunga and Wajidullah Nagri trying to reach the world’s highest point — Mount Everest. While the country’s climbers are away, the current tensions with India have led to uncertainty for other mountaineers wanting to scale some of Pakistan’s towering peaks. Several Karakoram and Himalayan peaks lie close to Indian-occupied territory and the closure of airspace during the skirmishes has meant that several climbers were unable to reach Pakistan. The country sees a huge influx of climbers during the hot season, and their presence contributes to the mountaineering economy. With a ceasefire in place, the hope is that the impact of the recent spike in tensions will be minimal.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025