How two Pakistani mountaineers made history in one day

A few minutes before Sirbaz reached the 8,463-meter-high Mount Makalu, the 20-year-old Pakistani climber Shehroze Kashif became the youngest mountaineer to summit the world’s five tallest peaks. Karrar Haidri, an official of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, called it “a moment of pride for Pakistan” and a remarkable day for the mountaineering community.

“Another historic achievement as Sirbaz Khan raises the green flag” on 11th 8000-meter summit as he “summited Mt Makalu, the 5th highest mountain in the world on May 28 at 8 am local time,” Saad Munawar, the organiser of the expedition, reported on Instagram. “Sirbaz summited the mountain in his usual style without using supplementary oxygen.”

However, Saad said that there won’t be big celebrations in respect of legendary mountaineer Ali Raza Sadpara who died in Skardu a day earlier after he was critically injured falling from a cliff. “We would like to dedicate this summit to Apo Ali (Ali Raza),” Saad said sharing that Sirbaz was “very close to Apo.” Sirbaz in a previous Facebook post described Ali Raza Sadpara as the “master of the master mountaineers” who has trained a whole generation of climbers.

The 33-year-old climber, born and raised in Aliabad in Pakistan’s mountainous Hunza district of Gilgit-Baltistan, started his adventure career some 18 years ago. “I knew it from the beginning that I was made for the high mountains, long glaciers and deep crevasses.” Sirbaz shared that he has worked as a low porter, a kitchen boy, a high altitude porter and also a lead climber during the tough journey. But “I have always given my best in each and every role and maybe, that’s why I am here today,” he said.

Mission Summit 14

Sirbaz Khan who just summited Mount Makalu is currently on a mission to climb all of the world’s 14 tallest mountains. Khan had said his ‘Mission Summit 14’ was not just about getting his name into the record books but “is about taking Pakistan and especially the underprivileged mountaineering community of Pakistan to the highest summits.” He was awarded the prestigious Pride of Pakistan Award 2022.

On May 28 at 6:56 am PST, Pakistan climber Shehroze Kashif became the youngest mountaineer to summit the world’s five tallest peaks. He summited the world’s fifth highest mountain Mount Makalu just 12 days after reaching the top of Mount Lhotse, also in Nepal, his team told Gulf News.

With the latest success, Shehroze becomes the youngest person ever to climb the five highest 8000ers: Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu. “He is the only Pakistani to have summited three 8000ers within 23 days. A moment of immense pride for Pakistan” reads the caption on his Instagram account.

Shehroze, who hails from Lahore city, began his climbing journey at the age of 11 when he summited the peaks ranging between 3000 and 4000 meters. At the age of 17, he climbed 8,047m Broad peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world, which earned him the title ‘The Broad Boy’.

He was 19 when he became the youngest Pakistani to scale Everest — the world’s highest peak. In 2021, Shehroze Kashif has achieved the Guinness World Record title for the world’s youngest person to climb the world’s top two tallest mountains in the same year within three months. He also holds the record for being the youngest person to have climbed K2.