ISLAMABAD: On Monday, Naila Kiani, Pakistan’s most successful female climber, achieved another remarkable milestone by becoming the first Pakistani woman to successfully scale Cho Oyu, which stands at 8,188 meters and ranks as the world’s sixth-highest peak.
Naila, accompanied by the Imagine Nepal team, including Sirbaz Khan, reached the summit of Cho Oyu at 12:30pm Nepal Time. Via her satellite phone, Naila personally confirmed her successful summit, marking her 10th peak over 8,000 meters.
She holds the distinction of being the first and only Pakistani woman to conquer 10 eight-thousanders. Notably, Naila and Sirbaz jointly became the first Pakistanis to reach the summit of Cho Oyu together.
In 2021, Naila Kiani initiated her remarkable journey by scaling Gasherbrum II, followed by successful summits of K2 and Gasherbrum I in 2022. Furthermore, from April of this year, she achieved the feat of conquering Annapurna, Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Manaslu, and Cho Oyu, becoming the first Pakistani to achieve this remarkable feat of scaling seven peaks in just six months.
Karrar Haidri of the Alpine Club of Pakistan praised her outstanding determination and highlighted that her achievement on Cho Oyu, despite extremely challenging conditions with poor visibility and harsh weather, is a testament to her exceptional strength and mountaineering skills. The entire community eagerly anticipates Naila’s safe return from this extraordinary adventure.
