Mountaineer Naila Kiani marks 12th summit as she scales Kanchenjunga

KARACHI: Pakistan's leading female mountaineer, Naila Kiani, has achieved another monumental feat, successfully summiting Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak. 

This marks her 12th ascent of an 8,000-metre mountain, propelling her closer to her ambitious goal of conquering all 14 of the world's highest peaks.

Kiani reached the 8,586m (28,169 feet) summit of Kanchenjunga, which straddles the border between India and Nepal, at approximately 6:00 AM PKT today. 

She began her final ascent from Camp IV on Thursday evening, demonstrating remarkable endurance and determination. At the peak, Kiani hoisted the Pakistani flag, a powerful symbol of her nation's spirit at the top of Nepal's second-highest and India's highest mountain.

However, Kanchenjunga cannot be climbed from the Indian side.

According to her basecamp team, the final summit push began at approximately 6:30pm PKT and continued through the night in severe high-altitude conditions, including intense snowfall and sub-zero temperatures.

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's a message to every girl and woman in Pakistan and beyond: you are stronger than you think," said Kiani, in a message shared via her team. "I'm proud and I'm grateful, but the journey is far from over. Pakistan, this is for you."

With this achievement, Kiani becomes the only Pakistani woman to summit 12 of the 14 peaks above 8,000m.

She is now two summits away from joining just 17 women worldwide who have completed the challenge. Only Shishapangma and Dhaulagiri remain for her to make history.

She began her high-altitude climbing career in 2021 by summiting Gasherbrum 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), Broad Peak (2023), Cho Oyu (2023) and Mount Makalu (2024).

Kiani is also the only Pakistani woman to have summited all five peaks of over 8,000m inside Pakistan. She also holds the record of being the first Pakistani woman on at least nine peaks of over 8,000m in the world. This feat makes her the undisputed leading female climber of the country.

Her relentless pursuit of mountaineering excellence has made her a symbol of perseverance for women in Pakistan and beyond.