Dubai-based Pakistani climber Naila Kiani makes history after Everest feat; Sajid Sadpara summits without use of supplemental oxygen
She becomes first Pakistani woman to climb 5 of 14 peaks above 8,000 metres
Islamabad: Dubai-based Naila Kiani has made history by successfully scaling Mount Everest, becoming the second Pakistani woman to summit the world’s highest peak at 8,848 metres. The first Pakistani female mountaineer to summit Everest is Samina Baig.
On May 14, Kiani became the first Pakistani woman to climb five out of the 14 peaks above the height of 8,000 metres in the world, marking a historic achievement.
“There is no better feeling than being on top of the mountain, holding the flag of your country, and making the whole nation proud,” Kiani said, expressing her joy at accomplishing this feat. She thanked the Bilquis and Abdul Razak Dawood (BARD) Foundation for sponsoring her summit and encouraging local athletes, especially women. “Naila’s boundless enthusiasm has always inspired us. Each of her achievements fills us with profound pride and joy. As she continues to scale new horizons, she has our constant support every step of the way,” said Mehreen Dawood, the managing director of BARD foundation.
Setting new climbing records
The Pakistani climber Naila Kiani recently became the first woman from Pakistan to summit Mount Annapurna on April 17. Within two years, she has summited five 8,000m+ peaks including Everest, K2, Annapurna, and Gasherbrum I and II. For her, the journey to the summit is more than just reaching the top. “It is a way of breaking barriers and pushing boundaries,” she says.
Kiani, a mother of two, expressed deep gratitude towards her husband and family for their unwavering support, which allowed her to pursue her passion for climbing.
“For anyone who loves adventure and exploration, there are always sacrifices to be made.For me, the biggest sacrifice is leaving my family behind, and the toughest part is the heartache of saying goodbye to loved ones” before beginning the summit, she wrote in an Instagram post.
“But I know they stand behind me because they believe in my dreams.” Kiani is an adventure enthusiast and an amateur boxer. In 2018, her deep love for mountains inspired her to have a small wedding celebration at the K2 base camp, earning her the nickname of the ‘K2 Bride’.
Sadpara summits Everest alpinist style
In another remarkable feat, Pakistani climber Sajid Ali Sadpara also scaled Mount Everest on the same day without the aid of supplementary oxygen or high-altitude porters. “History has been made” as Sajid Sadpara becomes the “first Pakistani to be on the top of Everest solo without the use of supplemental oxygen and personal sherpa assistance,” reads the message on his Instagram account on May 14.
Fulfilling his late father’s dream, Sadpara chose to climb in Alpine style, which requires climbers to be self-sufficient, managing everything from carrying their own food, tent, and ropes to setting their own routes, without the support of high-altitude porters from base camp to the summit. He described it as “the ultimate challenge for every mountaineer.”
Sadpara, the son of Pakistan’s celebrated high-altitude mountaineer Muhammad Ali Sadpara, aims to climb all of the world’s 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen, which he calls “an incomplete dream of my father,” who lost his life on K2 during the winter.