Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig has successfully skied to the last degree of the South Pole, adding another historic achievement to her adventurous milestones.
She was part of an international expedition organized by Elite Exped. The team left Pakistan on 2 December, reached Union Glacier on 6 December and Baig completed the journey on 14 December.
In a post on her Facebook page, Baig said she was deeply grateful and humbled to have skied the last degree of the South Pole, describing it as part of her pursuit of the Explorers Grand Slam.
She said the ski trip had never been achieved by any Pakistani before and called it one of the most challenging and meaningful experiences of her life, adding that it was still difficult to put the experience into words.
“From standing on top of Mount Everest in 2013 to completing the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on every continent, from climbing K2 and Nanga Parbat to now reaching the South Pole, this journey has taken me over the highest mountains and the most remote places on Earth,” Baig added.
“Every step along the way has taught me patience, resilience and the power of faith.”
She further wrote that the journey, although difficult, “has been about trusting the dream, staying committed through uncertainty and continuing to move forward even when the road feels impossible”.
The mountaineer expressed hope that her efforts would remind others, especially women, that dreams are worth pursuing, no matter how long they take.
“Carrying the flag of Pakistan and my Ismaili flag across mountains, continents and polar ice has been the greatest honor of my life. I remain grateful for every opportunity, every lesson and every person who walked this path with me,” she said.
Baig expressed gratitude to his community members for funding the expedition and thanked his team, his family, fellow mountaineer Nirmal Purja and Elite Expeditions for their support.
“Without their trust, encouragement and kindness, this journey would not have been possible.”
Namira Salim is Pakistan’s first astronaut and also the first Pakistani to reach both the North and South Poles. Got Tamgha-i-Imtiaz back in 2011 for her adventure stuff.
Samina Baig is from this small village called Shimshal. In 2013, she became the first Pakistani woman to climb Everest. She is also the first Pakistani to scale the seven summits – Everest, Kilimanjaro, McKinley, Mont Blanc, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Vinson, Puncak Jaya, all of them.
In 2010 she climbed this peak that no one had climbed before, Chashkin Sar, now it is called Samina Peak. The next year she made another untouched peak, named Koh-i-Brobar or Mount Equality.
In 2023, she and Naila Kiani became the first Pakistani women to summit Nanga Parbat, the ninth-highest mountain in the world. And in 2022 she also conquered K2, reaching there only a few hours before Kiani.
