Naila Kiani becomes first Pakistani woman to summit world's 6th highest peak Cho Oyu

KARACHI: Naila Kiani, Pakistan's most successful woman mountaineer, summited the world's 6th highest mountain peak Cho Oyu on Monday.

Kiani along with her team which included Pakistani climber Sirbaz Khan reached Cho Oyu's peak — located at a height of 8,88 metres — at 12:30pm Nepal Time.

Talking to Geo News correspondent via satellite phone, she confirmed adding another feather to her mountaineering career. Cho Oyu is her 10th peak with a height of more than 8,000 metres.

She is the first and only Pakistani woman to climb 10 eight-thousanders.

The mother-of-two also confirmed that she and Sirbaz stepped on the top together making the duo jointly the first Pakistanis to summit Cho Oyu.

Kiani had first climbed Gasherbrum II in 2021 before summitting K2 and Gasherbrum I in 2022. Since April this year, Naila Kiani has scaled Annapurna, Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Manaslu, and Cho Oyu making her the first Pakistani to climb 7 peaks in six months.

"Her determination is truly awe-inspiring, as she conquered the peak in incredibly challenging conditions with very poor visibility and hostile weather. This marathon climb that took over 28 hours is a testament to her strength and mountaineering skills," said Karrar Haidri of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

"We all hope and pray for Naila's safe return from this extraordinary adventure," he added.