Young Pakistani mountaineer begins journey to conquer world’s 14 highest peaks

Islamabad: Shehroze Kashif, the 20-year-old Pakistani mountaineer, has embarked on a record-breaking journey to become the youngest climber to summit all 14 highest peaks in the world.

Kashif, who recently became the youngest person to summit the world’s second-highest mountain K2, has set his sights on a new world record. He is headed to Nepal for his next challenge to attempt Annapurna I (8091m) and Dhaulagiri (8167m).

After these two summits, Kashif will attempt the remaining two peaks, Shishapangma and Cho You in the Tibetan region, to become the youngest climber to conquer all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters.

Currently, the record is held by Nepal’s Mingma David, who summited all 8000ers at the age of 30.

“Carrying on my shoulders, the gift of prayers from my parents, and the responsibility of raising the flag of my beloved Pakistan to new heights, I am off to the land of some of the highest mountains in the world,” Kashif said before beginning his journey. As he is determined to explore high peaks and tackle new challenges, he requested all Pakistanis to pray for his safe return.

Ambitious 8,000er goal

Kashif left for Nepal from Lahore on March 2. His family members, friends, and supporters were at the airport to send him off with prayers and best wishes as he began his journey to achieve his ambitious goal. “Shehroze is a gifted person and Allah has blessed him with powers so he can do extraordinary things,” said his father and biggest supporter, Kashif Salman.

His mother, Nadia Kashif, was visibly emotional. She asked her son to come back home safely soon and wished him all the best to attain his dreams and make Pakistan proud. She recalled that during his K2 summit, when she asked whether he missed home, Kashif pointed to the mountains and said: “This is my home, mom.”

Shehroze Kashif has already summited 10 of the 14 peaks including Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Manaslu, Broad Peak, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum 1, and Gasherbrum 2. He is the youngest in the world to do so.

With his world-record ascent, he aims to bring global attention to Pakistan and highlight the country’s natural beauty and diverse landscapes. He hopes his accomplishment will inspire a new generation of mountaineers and adventurers.

“I am determined to achieve this goal and bring honour to my country. I want to inspire young people to pursue their dreams and passions, no matter how difficult they may appear” he said.

The climber is also raising $60,000 in funds through GoFundMe to support his climbing mission and cover expenses such as equipment, permits, travel, safety, and other costs. “Even after so many world records and huge achievements, I am still struggling to get support from government and private sectors” in Pakistan, he said in a message posted on the fundraising page.

On his social media accounts, he asked people to support his endeavour. “Join me in raising the Pakistani flag higher than ever before by supporting my expedition to conquer the last four highest mountains of the world. Together, we can make history and inspire generations to come” he wrote on Facebook.

Climbing records set by ‘The Broad Boy’

Shehroze Kashif, who hails from Lahore city, began his climbing journey at the age of 11. The mission to reach the summit of all 14 peaks, which he calls “Project 14x8000er” started in July 2019 when Kashif summited 8,047m Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world, at the age of 17.

This feat earned him the title ‘The Broad Boy’. He was 19 when he became the youngest Pakistani to scale Everest (8,848m) — the world’s highest peak. In 2021, Shehroze Kashif achieved the Guinness World Record for being the youngest person to climb the world’s top two tallest mountains — Everest and K2 — in the same year within three months. He also holds the record for being the youngest to summit the treacherous Nanga Parbat known as the “Killer Mountain”.

In July 2022, Shehroze Kashif and his climbing companion Fazal Ali were reported missing during their expedition to Nanga Parbat. Fortunately, two days later, they were successfully rescued by a military helicopter.

World’s 14 highest peaks

There are 14 mountains in the world that are over 8000 meters and are known as the ‘eight-thousanders’ (8000ers). These are all located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges across Nepal, China, and Pakistan - which is home to five of the world’s tallest mountains.

Scaling all of the world’s 14 highest peaks is considered one of the ultimate mountaineering challenges. The 8,000ers are so ferocious that only 44 people have successfully achieved this monumental feat of reaching the top of all 14 peaks, navigating through freezing temperatures and treacherous terrain.

The most recent person to summit all 14 was Nirmal Purja, a Nepali climber and ex-British Special Forces soldier, who ascended all of the world’s 14 highest mountains in six months and six days, breaking the previous record by more than seven years.