Sirbaz Khan- first Pakistani to conquer all 14 world’s highest peaks

GILGIT: Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Khan made history on Friday by reaching the summit of Shishapangma (8,027 meters) in Tibet, becoming the first Pakistani to conquer all 14 of the world’s eight-thousanders — the mountains that exceed 8,000 meters in height.

The remarkable achievement was part of an expedition organized by the Nepalese tour operator, Imagine Nepal, comprising 11 climbers. The team reached the summit of Shishapangma, the 14th highest peak globally, at 4:06 pm CST on Friday, following the route taken by Spanish climber Edurne Pasaban in 2006.

In a social media post, Imagine Nepal lauded the efforts of the team, stating: “This monumental feat sees five climbers complete all 14 of the world’s highest peaks, with Mingma G summiting without supplemental oxygen.”

Sirbaz Khan summited Shishapangma without O2, bringing his total to 12 peaks climbed without oxygen support. “So far, Sirbaz has climbed 12 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks, with Annapurna and Kanchenjunga remaining to complete the list of climbers who have conquered all 14 without oxygen,” Imagine Nepal said in a statement on its website.

Sirbaz, speaking to HUM News English via phone from Nepal before his departure to China, expressed his personal philosophy regarding his climbs: “I’m not chasing a record. I summit without O2 support for my own satisfaction.”

When discussing Shishapangma, Sirbaz remarked that it was not a particularly challenging peak to climb. “The Chinese have banned summits without O2 support, but who checks on the mountain? I have seen many Indians in my career who claim summits after returning from halfway” he said with a hint of sarcasm.

His climbing portfolio includes Nanga Parbat in 2017, three successful ascents of K2 (2018, 2022, and 2024), Lhotse, Broad Peak, and Manaslu in 2019, and Annapurna, Gasherbrum-II, Dhaulagiri, and Everest in 2021 and 2023. The Shishapangma climb marks a significant achievement in his mountaineering career.

Nepalese climber Mingma G also made headlines as the first person from his country to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen, a feat Imagine Nepal confirmed in their post. Dr. Tracee Lee Metcalfe, an American climber, also became the first from the USA to reach the true summit of all 14 peaks.

Other climbers who successfully summited Shishapangma as part of this historic expedition include Japanese climber Naoki Ishikawa, who became the first Japanese to achieve true summits of all 14 of the highest peaks. Dawa Gyalje Sherpa also completed his lifelong dream of conquering the world’s highest peaks.

Among the expedition’s members, Dr. Sashko Kedev from Macedonia has now summited 12 of the 14 peaks, with Kanchenjunga and Gasherbrum-I remaining. Other prominent team members included Kili Pemba Sherpa and Phur Galjen Sherpa, who have both successfully climbed 12 and 11 of the 14 peaks, respectively.

The Shishapangma expedition was also notable for featuring the work of Sensai Pema Waiba, the high-altitude photographer and videographer from Imagine Nepal, who summited alongside the team.

Shehroze Kashif, another celebrated Pakistani mountaineer, is also nearing the completion of his quest to summit all 14 of the world’s eight thousanders. If he scales the peak Kashif will become the only second and youngest Pakistani to achieve the feat.

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