Naila Kiani aims to conquer all 14 majestic 8 thousanders

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first female mountaineer Naila Kiani who conquered five peaks higher than 8,000 meters, now has her sights set on all 14 of the world’s highest peaks.

The media reports said that the former banker turned intrepid climber has made history as her eight successful climbs have made her the first and only Pakistani woman to achieve this feat.

Kiani, during her interview, said that she was optimistic about reaching the remaining six summits. “I want to climb as much as I can, as soon as I can,” said Kiani.

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Starting her journey just two years ago, Naila Kiani became the first Pakistani woman to ascend the 8,035-metre Gasherbrum II, the 13th highest mountain globally.

She told the media that she kicked off the mountaineering journey as an experiment, which later turned into her passion, and she hasn’t looked back since. “Though I was always into sports, I never thought I’d become a mountaineer,” the mountaineer added.

As per the reports, since her first climb in 2021, she has conquered K2, Gasherbrum I, Mount Everest, Lhotse, Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak

“I chose Gasherbrum II as my first peak. I wasn’t even sure if I could make it to the top, but I succeeded, and then I kept attempting one peak after another,” she recounted.

Meanwhile, Samina Baig was the first Pakistani woman to summit six of the peaks and climbed Everest in 2013, Kiani has now become indisputably the country’s most accomplished female mountaineer, as re[ported by the media.

Kiani said that her achievements felt ‘unreal’ to her as she wondered how she managed to achieve all of this of her own.

While talking to the media, she said that she saw her accomplishment as an honour and wanted to set an example for her two young daughters. She admitted the challenges of leaving them behind during expeditions but found strength in their thoughts while facing tough paths.

She also mentioned the necessity for improved support from the public sector, better rescue facilities and enhanced infrastructure for mountaineering in Pakistan.

In her conclusive remarks during her interview, Naila Kiani addressed aspiring female mountaineers and said: “Never stop pursuing your goals. There’s no obstacle that can’t be overcome in this world.”