Shehroze Kashif becomes youngest climber to conquer 12 peaks over 8,000m

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani mountaineer Shehroze Kashif reclaimed the 8,163-meter (26,781-foot) summit of Nepal’s Manaslu peak on Tuesday.

The milestone has solidified his status as the world’s youngest mountaineer to conquer 12 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters, as confirmed by Pakistan’s official mountaineering organisation.

Shehroze Kashif, a 21-year-old adventurer, successfully reached the summit of Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain globally, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

Back at basecamp after the successful summit of Manaslu 8163m. #ShehrozeKashif #thebroadboy @bard_org https://t.co/FMRcLwSQoU

— Shehroze Kashif (broadboy) (@Shehrozekashif2) September 20, 2023

The reports said that this achievement marked his second ascent of Manaslu, having previously climbed it in September 2021. However, the earlier feat was not officially recognised due to the climbers taking an alternative route to reach the summit, as explained by Karrar Haidri, the secretary-general of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

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The creation of the new route, named the “Rolwaling Diversion,” garnered attention and led to debates about the mountain’s true summit. Despite the controversy, the climbing community applauded the climbers’ innovative approach to reaching the actual peak.

Shehroze Kashif has already accomplished the remarkable feat of conquering the world’s two tallest mountains, Mount Everest and K2, earning him the titles of the world’s youngest mountaineer to summit both peaks and Pakistan’s youngest climber to reach the second-highest peak globally.

Hailing from Lahore, Kashif embarked on his mountaineering journey at the age of 11, steadily progressing from climbing peaks ranging from 3,000 metres (9,842 feet) to 8,000 metres (26,246 feet) before achieving the summits of Mount Everest and K2. Notably, in 2013, he scaled the 3,885-metre (12,746-foot) Makra Peak in the Mansehra district at just 11 years old, earning him the nickname “The Broad Boy” following his 2019 expedition to the 8,047-metre (26,401-foot) Broad Peak in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.