Shehroze Kashif becomes youngest Pakistani to summit all ‘8000ers’

GILGIT: Shehroze Kashif, a young and determined mountaineer from Lahore, has etched his name in history by becoming the youngest Pakistani to conquer all 14 of the world’s highest peaks, also known as eight-thousanders.

The 21-year-old achieved this extraordinary feat by successfully summiting Shishapangma (8,027 meters) in Tibet, China, on Wednesday morning.

With this achievement, he became only the second Pakistani to achieve this remarkable feat, following Sarbaz Khan, who became the first Pakistani to scale all 14 eight-thousanders after summiting Shishapangma on October 4. Shehroze was part of a 29-member team of climbers and sherpas organized by Seven Summit Treks (SST) that reached the summit at 6:00 am local time.

“This remarkable achievement makes Shehroze the youngest Pakistani to complete this formidable challenge. Once again, he has raised Pakistan’s flag atop one of the world’s highest peaks,” said Karrar Haidri, Secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

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“Words cannot capture the emotions I feel at this moment. Years of relentless hard work, endless struggles for funding and permits, battling frostbite, severe health issues, and the constant fight against death itself have all led me to this pinnacle of achievement. This is not just a personal victory, but a victory for Pakistan,” Kashif said in a social media post.

“The Green Flag flies on the highest peaks in the world, proving that no dream is too big for those who believe and are willing to fight for it. Through every challenge and every setback, I kept pushing forward with the unwavering belief that I was born to climb and to raise my country’s flag on top of the world,” he added.

Born to Climb

Shehroze’s climbing journey began at the tender age of 11 when he first scaled Makra Peak (3,885m). Over the years, he honed his skills, summiting Musa Ka Musalla (4,080m) at 12, Minglik Sar (6,050m) at 13, and the K2 Base Camp at 14, before making a name for himself by conquering K2 in 2021, becoming the youngest to do so. His remarkable climb at the age of 19 to Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, added another feather to his cap.

Shehroze continued to set records, earning the nickname ‘The Broad Boy’ after scaling Broad Peak (8,047m) at 17. His subsequent summits included Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum-I, Gasherbrum-II, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, and Cho Oyu in 2022 and 2023, culminating in his final triumph on Shishapangma.

Nima Rinji Sherpa youngest on earth to conquer all eight-thousanders

In a related achievement, Nepalese climber Nima Rinji Sherpa has set a new world record by becoming the youngest person to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks at the age of 18 years and 5 months. Early this morning, Nima, along with his climbing partner Pasang Nurbu Sherpa—who also completed the 14x8000ers—reached the summit of Mount Shishapangma (8,027m) at 6:05 am (local time in China).

Nima’s journey began in September 2022 with his first 8,000-meter climb on Mount Manaslu (8,163m). In the span of just over two years, he consistently scaled one 8,000-meter peak after another, cementing his place in mountaineering history.