Karachi: Pakistan’s top and most successful female mountaineer Naila Kiani has scaled Kanchenjunga, the world’s third tallest top, marking her 12th summit over 8,000 meters.
With his latest achievement, Kiani has moved closer to his dream of joining the elite group of women who have conquered all 14 of the world’s tallest mountains.
Standing at 8,586 m (28,169 feet) Kanchenjunga extends the border between India and Nepal and is also the highest peak in India. However, it is not allowed to climb the mountain from the Indian side.
Naila Kiani began her last ascent from Camp IV on Thursday night and successfully reached the summit around 2 p.m. 06:00, and hoisted Pakistan’s flag at the top of the world’s third highest, Nepal’s second highest and India’s highest top.
According to her baseCamp team, the last Summit Pump began around 1 p.m. 18:30 pt and continued through the night under serious conditions at high altitude, including intensive snowfall and temperatures below zero.
Despite the challenges, Kiani remained firm and reached the summit, driven by unshakable determination.
“From Pakistan to Kanchenjunga, this summit is not just a personal milestone, it is a message to any girl and woman in Pakistan and beyond: You are stronger than you think,” Kiani said in a message shared through her team. “I’m proud and I’m grateful, but the journey is far from past. Pakistan, this is something for you.”
With this performance, Kiani becomes the only Pakistani woman for Summit 12 in the 14 peaks over 8,000 m.
She is now two summits away from only becoming a member of 17 women around the world who have completed the challenge. Only Shishapangma and Dhaulagiri are back for her to make history.
She began her high altitude climbing career by 2021 by summing the Gasher Brub II. Since then, she has conquered some of the world’s most formidable peaks, including K2 (2022), Gasherbrum I (2022), Annapurna (2023), Mount Everest (2023), Lhotse (2023), Nanga Parbat (2023).
Kiani is also the only Pakistani woman who has collected all five peaks of over 8,000 meters inside Pakistan. She also has the record to be the first Pakistani woman at at least nine peaks of over 8,000 mi world. This achievement makes her the undisputed leading female climbing in the country.
Her relentless persecution of excellent mountaineering has made her a symbol of endurance for women in Pakistan and beyond.
