04/10/2023
On Monday, Naila Kiani, Pakistan's most accomplished female climber, achieved another remarkable milestone by becoming the first Pakistani woman to reach the summit of Cho Oyu, which stands at an impressive height of 8,188 meters and ranks as the world's sixth-highest peak.
Naila, accompanied by the Imagine Nepal team, including Sirbaz Khan, successfully reached the summit of Cho Oyu at 12:30 pm Nepal Time. This achievement marks her tenth ascent of a peak over 8,000 meters, solidifying her position as the first and only Pakistani woman to achieve this remarkable feat.
In an exclusive communication via her satellite phone, Naila confirmed her triumphant summit of Cho Oyu. What makes this ascent even more special is that she and Sirbaz Khan reached the summit together, establishing themselves as the first Pakistanis to conquer Cho Oyu as a team.
Naila's impressive mountaineering journey began in 2021 with her first ascent of Gasherbrum II, followed by successful summits of K2 and Gasherbrum I in 2022. Since April of the same year, she has added Annapurna, Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Manaslu, and now Cho Oyu to her list of conquered peaks. This remarkable achievement makes Naila Kiani the first Pakistani to scale seven peaks in just six months.
Karrar Haidri from the Alpine Club of Pakistan commended Naila's awe-inspiring determination and strength, emphasizing that she overcame incredibly challenging conditions, including poor visibility and harsh weather, during her 28-hour-long marathon climb. The entire mountaineering community and well-wishers are eagerly hoping and praying for Naila's safe return from this extraordinary adventure.