Naila Kiani sets new record, becomes first Pakistani to conquer 11 8,000m high peaks
Sports
Alpine Club of Pakistan said in a statement that she achieved the milestone on Sunday morning
(Web Desk) – Mountaineer Naila Kiani on Sunday set a new record when she scaled the 8,485-metre high Mount Makalu and became first Pakistani woman to summit 11 peaks above 8,000 metres.
Alpine Club of Pakistan Secretary Karrar Haidri said in a statement that she achieved the milestone on Sunday morning.
“After a challenging climb through the night, Naila has achieved another historic milestone by successfully summiting Makalu, the fifth highest peak in the world at 8,485 meters, today at approximately 9:35am Nepal local time [8:50am Pakistan time],” Haidri said.
It may be remembered that Naila became the second Pakistani woman to conquer Mount Everest in 2023. Samina Baig is the first woman who achieved the feat in 2013.
In July last, Naila and Samina entered record books when they scaled the 8,125-metre high Nanga Parbat — the world’s ninth-highest peak.
“This latest success highlights her exceptional endurance and determination. She now holds the record as the fastest Pakistani, both male and female, to have summited 11 of the 8,000-meter peaks, accomplished in under three years,” Haidri said in the statement.
“Kiani is a role model and a goodwill ambassador for several organisations supporting women’s education and youth empowerment through sports. Her contributions to mountaineering and her commitment to social causes have been recognised by the government of Pakistan, which awarded her the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the highest civilian honour for a female athlete in the country,” said the statement.
Meanwhile, Naila thanked all well-wishers for their prayers, and Sherpa Gelgen Dai from Imagine Nepal, who supported “every step of the way, making the achievement possible.”
PROFILE
Naila Kiani is a Dubai-based Pakistani banker, an amateur boxer, and a mother of two daughters. She had first gained prominence after images of her wedding shoot at K2 Basecamp circulated on social media in 2018.
She summited Gasherbrum-II (8,035m) in 2021 and ascended Gasherbrum-I (8,068m), K2, and Annapurna peaks. She had also climbed the world’s second-tallest peak K2.
Naila conquered two peaks in less than six months, making her one of only 10 mountaineers worldwide and the only Pakistani to have climbed multiple peaks, seven over 8,000 metres in such a short time.
She also holds the record as the fastest Pakistani, male or female, to conquer 10 peaks above 8,000 metres, accomplishing this in two years.
She is an aerospace engineer, having studied at the University of London, and has held a prominent position as an Associate Vice President at the HSBC bank.
