Naila Kiani becomes first Pakistani woman to scale fifth highest peak in world

GILGIT: Pakistani climber Naila Kiani on Sunday summited the 5th highest mountain in the world, Makalu, standing at 8,485 meters in Nepal.

“After a treacherous climb through the night, Naila has achieved yet another historic milestone by successfully summiting Makalu, the 5th highest peak in the world at 8,485m, today at approx 9.35am Nepal local time (8.50am Pakistan),” she announced in a social media post.

This historic climb marks her as the first Pakistani woman to have ascended 11 out of the world’s 14 towering 8000-meter mountains.

“She leads as the fastest ever Pakistani in history, in both male and female categories, to have summited 11 of the 8,000m peaks, accomplished in under 3 years,” the post reads.

Read more: PCB Chairman announces big reward for players if they win T20 World Cup

Naila Kiani’s journey in the high-altitude mountaineering world has been nothing short of remarkable. Her list of monumental achievements includes some of the world’s most formidable peaks: Mount Everest (8,848 meters) in 2023, K2 (8,611 meters) in 2022, and Lhotse (8,516 meters) in 2023. The climber also triumphed over Nanga Parbat (8,126 meters), Manaslu (8,163 meters), Annapurna (8,091 meters), and Broad Peak (8,051 meters), all in 2023. Her earlier successes include Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters) in 2021, Gasherbrum I (8,080 meters) in 2022, and Cho Oyu (8,188 meters) also in 2023.

She achieved the feat within a short span of two years. Kiani also achieved the unique distinction of conquering seven of these massive peaks within just six months—a testament to her extraordinary capabilities and indomitable spirit. In recognition of her unparalleled contributions to mountaineering, Kiani was awarded the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the highest civilian honor in Pakistan, in March of this year.

Beyond her mountaineering prowess, Kiani has excelled in various fields. She is an aerospace engineer, having studied at the University of London, and has held a prominent position as an Associate Vice President at HSBC bank. She is also a competitive boxer and a dedicated mother of two toddlers. Despite her busy life, she continues to push boundaries by scaling some of the world’s most challenging peaks.