GILGIT: In a historic achievement, two Polish aviators, Sebastian Kawa and Sebastian Kot Lampart, have become the first in the world to fly a glider over the summit of K2, the second-highest mountain at 8,611 meters.
Karar Haidri, Secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, praised this pioneering flight, noting that it was accomplished despite high-speed winds and strict flight restrictions in Pakistan. He highlighted the exceptional skill and determination of the aviators.
The journey involved transporting their Ash-25 glider from Poland to Pakistan in a trailer. After obtaining a flying license from local authorities in the Shigar district, the pilots conducted a test flight from Skardu airport, reaching 4,600 meters on Friday. On Saturday at 4:50 PM, they made history by flying over the K2 summit in their two-seater Schleicher ASH 25 glider, equipped with oxygen and a small emergency engine. They took off from Skardu airport, flew over the Karakoram range, and circled K2.
This historic flight faced numerous challenges, including windy conditions at high altitudes and difficulties in securing necessary permits due to strict flight restrictions in the Karakoram range. Despite these obstacles, the pilots succeeded in reaching over 8,611 meters above sea level.
Mountain Challenger, the tour organizer, celebrated the achievement, stating, “K2 is the biggest and highest mountain, but our team was higher than K2. This is one of the best days for us.”
Sebastian Kot Lampart shared his excitement on Facebook, saying, “My emotions have subsided; you can post some photos from Saturday – K2, Broad Peak, Baltoro. It is!! First ever glider flight in Karakoram.”
Sebastian Kawa also posted on Facebook, “Beautiful view at K2 and Broad Peak from ASH25Mi cockpit. It was not easy but worth it.”
The expedition team included Sławomir Makaruk, Przemysław Janusz, Krzysztof Strama, and Marcin Polar from Poland.
Karrar Haidri commended the achievement, stating that soaring over K2 and Masherbrum in a glider was remarkable. He added that the Alpine Club of Pakistan hopes this accomplishment will inspire and promote the sport of gliding in the country.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
