Naila Kiani becomes first Pakistani woman to scale 11 8,000-metre summits

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani mountaineer Naila Kiani on Saturday added another feather to her cap after becoming the first Pakistani woman to summit 11 peaks of over 8,000 metres.

Kiani achieved the milestone after successfully scaling the world’s fifth highest peak, Makalu, at 8,485 metres located in Nepal — becoming the first Pakistani woman to do so.

The mountaineer ascended the peak at approximately 8:50am (PST).

In a statement, the mountaineer expressed gratitude to her countrymen for the prayers and good wishes and also thanked Sherpa Gelgen Dai from Imagine Nepal, who supported her every step of the way, making the achievement possible.

Her previous achievements include becoming the first Pakistani woman to scale all of Pakistan’s 8,000-metre peaks. She is also the only Pakistani woman to climb 10 eight-thousanders.

However, Kiani’s mountaineering prowess is not limited to the said sport as being an aerospace engineer and a mother of two, she has studied at the University of London and has held a prominent position as an associate vice president at a UK-based multinational bank.

Her contributions to mountaineering and her commitment to social causes have been recognised by the Government of Pakistan, which awarded her Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the country’s third highest civilian honour.