Mountaineer Naila Kiani on Friday summited Mount Kanchenjunga (8,586m), the world’s third-highest mountain situated in Nepal, becoming the only Pakistani female mountaineer to summit the world’s 12 highest mountains above eight thousand metres.
The summit marked a historic milestone in her pursuit of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000m.
Speaking to Dawn.com today, Mingma G, famous Nepali climber and the owner of Imagine Nepal, said that Kiani stood at top of the peak at 6am local time (5:15 am PKT).
Mingma G added that after the successful summit, the expedition team started their descent to camp four and were heading towards basecamp.
Secretary Alpine Club of Pakistan, Karrar Haidri, congratulated Kiani for the feat.
According to press release issued by Kiani’s team, the achievement cemented her place not only in Pakistan’s mountaineering history but also on the global stage, etching closer to a rare and elite global record: becoming one of fewer than 20 women in history to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000m peaks.
It said that the summit push began at approximately 6:30pm on Thursday and continued through the night in severe high-altitude conditions, including intense snowfall and sub-zero temperatures.
“Despite the challenges, Kiani safely reached the summit, driven by unshakable determination and the support of a nation behind her,” the statement said.
“From Pakistan to Kanchenjunga, this summit is not just a personal milestone, it’s a message to every girl and woman in Pakistan and beyond: you are stronger than you think,” Naila said during her descent, according to the statement.
“I’m proud and grateful, but the journey has just started. Pakistan, this is for you.”
Before starting the summit push, through a message to her team, Kiani had said, “Climbing Kanchenjunga has been an incredibly difficult expedition and a harsh reminder of how hard it is to climb mountains over 8,000m.”
Kiani has already summited 11 out of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000m, including Everest, K2, Broad Peak, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum-I, Gasherbrum-II, Annapurna, Lhotse, Manaslu, Makalu and Cho Oyu.
“Kanchenjunga is known for its treacherous terrains and unpredictable weather,” she added.
“But with determination and the support of my family, team and followers, I’m hopeful for a successful summit.”
Kiani has a bunch of mountaineering feats to her name.
Earlier this month, Kiani became the first Pakistani woman to summit 11 8,000m peaks in the world.
In April last year, she became the first Pakistani woman to climb Nepal’s Annapurna peak, the world’s 10th-highest peak, standing 8,091m tall. The next month, she went on to summit Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, becoming the second Pakistani woman to do so.
In July, Kiani attained the feat of becoming the first Pakistani woman to climb the world’s ninth-highest peak, the 8,125m Nanga Parbat. The same month, she became the first Pakistani woman to summit Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain at 8,051m.
Months later, Kiani and Sirbaz Khan became the first Pakistani duo to summit the 8,201m Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest peak in China’s Tibet.
