28 climbers including 15 Pakistanis summit Broad Peak

GILGIT: As bad weather conditions eased, the long wait for the summit push ended, 28 climbers, including 15 Pakistani mountaineers, successfully summited Broad Peak, the 12th-highest mountain in the world at 8,051 meters above sea level on Saturday, according to tour operators.

High-speed winds, snowfall, clouds, and unpredictable weather had forced climbers to wait for nearly two months, hindering their progress except for acclimatization and rotations. The weather improved on Friday, allowing climbers to begin their summit push.

According to Karakorum Expeditions, a five-member team of rope fixers from Shimshal Valley in Hunza was the first to reach the summit at 7:15 am. The team included Ahmed Baig, Arshad Karim, Rizwan Dad, Waqar Ali, and Daulat Muhammad.

“We are excited to announce that Team Karakorum Expeditions has successfully summited Broad Peak and fixed ropes all the way to the summit this morning! Braving waist-deep snow, our team worked tirelessly through challenging conditions all night long,” Karakorum Expeditions stated in a social media post. By achieving this milestone, the team became the first in Pakistan’s history to solely fix ropes and routes from the base to the summit of an 8000+ meter peak. Previously, Nepali Sherpas were responsible for fixing lines on such peaks in Pakistan.

Five minutes later, Sanu Sherpa from Nepal and Zulfiqar Ali from Hushe Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan reached the summit. Another four-member team from Karakorum Expeditions, including Zaman Karim and Afreen Shah from Shimshal Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murad Ali from Balochistan, and Iya Pershina from Russia, also summited the peak.

A five-member team of Pakistani climbers reached the summit at 11:30 am. Pakistani-American Aamir Butt, Anum Uzair from Lahore, and Akber Ali and Muhammad Ali Aman from Hushe were confirmed by Summit Karakoram, an Adventure Tour Company, to HUM News English. This was the second 8000-meter peak for Anum Uzair, who previously scaled Manaslu with her husband, making them the first couple to achieve an 8000-meter peak together.

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Additionally, Lars Lammler from Switzerland, Hossein Natteghi from Iran, and Angel Ezequiel Armesto from Argentina summited the peak on Saturday, confirmed Anwar Syed of Lela Peak Expedition to HUM News English.

Mashabrum Expeditions Treks & Tours owner Muhammad Ali also confirmed that his three international clients, including Mathew David Holt from the United Kingdom, and Aang Phurba Sherpa and Temba Sherpa, have also summited the peak.

Pasang Namgel Sherpa from Nepal, Abid Baig from Hunza Valley, Gian Luca from Italy, Cesar Rosales from Peru, Tomasz Kitta from Canada, and Gabriel Florari from Romania also reached the summit.

Individual Achievements

Abid Baig and Sanu Sherpa summited their second 8000-meter peak within just 20 days, having summited Nanga Parbat (8,126 meters) on July 10 and July 21 respectively. Abid achieved both feats solo, without oxygen or assistance. Murad Ali became the first climber from Balochistan to summit an 8000-meter peak.

With the summit of Broad Peak, Pasang Namgel Sherpa completed the summit of all 14 8000-meter peaks in the world. According to the Nepalese adventure company Imagine Nepal, Pasang has climbed some of the 8000-meter peaks several times. He earned the nickname “Himalayan Tiger” from the Koreans due to his bravery and ferocity in the mountains. He holds the distinction of being the sole Nepalese climber to have conquered Lhotse Shar, an 8,400-meter peak in the formidable Lhotse range. Moreover, he stands as the only Nepalese climber to have summited Yalung Khang (8,505 meters), a peak in the Kanchenjunga Himal range.