On May 24, Naila Kiani conquered the peak of Kanchenjunga at 6:30 am local time, earning the title of Pakistan’s foremost woman mountaineer with 12 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters to her credit.
The Dubai-based Pakistani climber stands on the threshold of joining a global elite of only 17 women who have conquered all 14 peaks above 8,000-meter height
Dubai-based Pakistani mountaineer Naila Kiani has scaled 8,586-meter-high Kanchenjunga, the tallest peak in India, her organizer said on Friday, as the climber posed with a Pakistani flag at the summit. Kiani has become the first Pakistani woman to scale 12 of the world’s 14 peaks above the height of 8,000 meters, according to Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), which arranges various expeditions. Kiani, who stands on the threshold of joining a global elite of only 17 women who have conquered all 14 eight-thousanders, reached the Kanchenjunga summit early Friday, the Imagine Nepal expedition organizer said.
“Shortly before 7:00 AM NPT, our remarkable team of ten climbers triumphantly reached the peak of Kanchenjunga (8,586 meters), which stands as the planet’s third-tallest mountain,” stated Imagine Nepal via their Facebook page. “At approximately 6:30 am local time, Naila Kiani achieved the summit of Kanchenjunga, thereby earning the title of Pakistan’s foremost woman mountaineer due to her twelfth ascent to an altitude exceeding eight thousand meters,” reported Dawa Futi Sherpa, who serves as the operations director for Imagine Nepal, quoting information from the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
The Pakistani club described this as a “significant landmark” in Pakistan’s mountaineering legacy, marking a tremendous source of national pride. “Her expedition from the lofty summits of Mount Everest and K2 to the treacherous inclines of Annapurna and Lhotse embodies a compelling narrative of determination, tenacity, and indomitable spirit,” stated the ACP.
This accomplishment goes beyond being merely personal; it serves as an emblem of female empowerment in athletics, a source of encouragement and motivation for people in Pakistan, and a cherished occasion for all those who admire mountain climbing. Kiani has earlier reached the peaks of Mount Makalu (8,485 m), Broad Peak (8,047 m), Annapurna (8,091 m), K2 (8,611 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Gasherbrum I (8,068 m), Gasherbrum II (8,035 m), Nanga Parbat (8,125 m), Mount Everest (8,849 m), Manaslu (8,156 m), and Cho Oyu (8,201 m).
