Pakistani climber becomes world's youngest to scale 12 peaks above 8,000 meters

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Pakistan's Shehroz Kashif on Wednesday scaled the 8,167-meter (26,795-feet) Dhaulagiri mountain in Nepal, becoming the world's youngest climber to summit 12 peaks above 8,000 meters.

Kashif reached the top of Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh tallest mountain, early Wednesday morning, said the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the country's official mountaineering association, in a statement.

Kashif, 21, made history when he summited K2, the world's second-tallest mountain, in July 2021, to become the world's youngest climber.

He also became the youngest Pakistani to summit Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, in May 2021.

Kashif, from the northeastern Pakistani city of Lahore, is only the sixth Pakistani to scale Mount Everest. He intends to summit all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters.

- Woman climber makes history

Kashif's rare feat was achieved a day after Pakistani climber Nadia Kiani ascended the 8,516-meter (27,940-feet) Mount Lhotse in Nepal, becoming the first Pakistani woman mountaineer to scale the world's fourth tallest mountain.

Naila Kiani along with her teammate, Nadia Azad, a British-Pakistani, had added another feather to her cap after the two conquered Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak, on May 14.

With this accomplishment, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Kiani has become the country's fastest woman to ascend six peaks higher than 8,000 meters.

Naila Kiani is the seventh and second Pakistani woman to summit Mount Everest.

Previously, Samina Baig was the only woman climber to achieve the feat in 2013.

Kiani had already climbed K2, Geeshabroom-1, and Geeshabroom-II, before her most recent achievements. She is a Pakistani banker living in Dubai who is also an amateur boxer and a mother of two daughters.

In addition, Naila Kiani’s climbing of Mount Everest this season was the first international ascent by a climber, the statement added.

Recognizing her "extraordinary" achievements, the Pakistan government announced on Wednesday that she will be conferred with one of the country's top civilian medals, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, state-run Pakistan Television reported.