Pakistan’s 8,000m Summiters – Unsung Heroes who conquered the Death Zone

Pakistani Mountaineers and High Altitude Porters and Climber have achieved great heights and are often not known outside the climber’s world. Although there are many Pakistani who have climbed 8000m mountains but here we are listing people whose accomplishments are known and have a climbing career. These are the strongest men in Pakistan and have dedicated lives to these mountains. Here is a list of Pakistani climbers who have summited 8,000m mountains.

Rajab Shah

Rajab Shah a mountaineer from Shimshal, Hunza is first on our list.  He started his mountaineering career as a High Altitude Porter (HAP) and was part of many early expeditions on 8000m mountains in Pakistan. Rajab Shah Rajab’s first 8000er ascent came in 1989 when he summited Nanga Parbat as a part of the German-Pakistani Expedition lead by Ekke Gundelach and Sher Khan. He used a variant of Kinshofer route to reach the top.

He stood on top of K2, highest peak in Pakistan, in summer of 1995 when he along with Meherban Shah became the first Pakistani couple to stand on the K-2 Summit (8,611 m) as part of Dutch-Pak Joint expedition In 1998, he became first Pakistani to climb all five of the eight-thousanders in Pakistan. He was honored with President’s Pride of Performance Award in the field of Sports in 1993. He returned home as an instructor and president of Shimshal Mountaineering School. This school trained and enable next-generation climbers like Mirza Ali, Samina Baig, Qudrat Ali, and Shaheen Baig.

8000er Profile:

1. 1989: Nanga Parbat (8125m)
2. 1990 & 1992: Gasherbrum I (8068m)
3. 1993: Broad Peak (8047m)
4. 1995: K-2 (8611m)              
5. 1998: Gasherbrum II (8035m)

Nazir Sabir

Nazir Sabir is the most renowned climber and mountaineer in Pakistan. He is the first Pakistani to summit Mount Everest. His climbing career started when he joined the Japanese expedition to the 7,284m Passu Peak in Hunza in 1974. He went on to conquer four out of five 8000m peaks in Pakistan. Two of which Gasherbrum II and Broad Peak, he summitted with Reinhold Messner in alpine style

He earned President’s Award for Pride-of-Performance in 1982 and the Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) in 2001 after his Mount Everest summit.

8000er Profile:

1. 1981 K2
2. 1982 Gasherbrum II
3. 1982 Broad Peak
4. 1992 Gasherbrum I
5. 2000 Mount Everest

First Ascent: Paiyu Peak (6660m)

Hassan Satpara

Hassan Sadpara (Hassan Asad) was a Pakistani mountaineer from Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. He became the first Pakistani to Summit six 8000m mountains including all 8000m peaks in Pakistan along with Mount Everest. In 2008, the Government of Pakistan awarded him the President’s Pride of Performance. He did not use supplementary oxygen on his summits except during Mount Everest Summit when he used oxygen because of the bad weather. He died of cancer in 2016. In 2019 Government posthumously awarded him the President’s Pride of Performance. 8000m peaks summited:

• Everest (8848m)
• K2 (8611m)
• Gasherbrum I (8080m)
• Gasherbrum II (8034m)
• Nanga Parbat (8126 m)
• Broad Peak (8051m).

Ali Sadpara

Ali Sadpara is the first Pakistani to summit seven of the 8000m peaks. He is renowned mountaineer from Skardu. He started as low altitude porter and making it as high altitude porter and now a mountaineer. He holds various national level accolades and this amazing feat will bring him international recognition as well. He became the first Pakistani to summit Nanga Parbat in winters in 2016. He is the only Pakistani to summit an 8000m peak in winters.
The 8,000-metre high peaks ascended by Sadpara include

1. K2 (8,611m)
2. Mount Lhotse 8,516m
3. Mount Makalu 8,485 m
4. Gasherbrum I (8,080m)
5. Gasherbrum II (8,034m)
6. Nanga Parbat (8,126m) 2008 & 2009
7. Broad Peak (8,051m)

First Winter Ascent: Nanga Parbat in 2016

Mehrban Shah

Mehrban Shah is mountaineer from Shimshal, Hunza Pakistan. He and Rajab Shah become the first Pakistani duo to summit K2 in 1995.

Mehrban became the youngest Pakistan to reach the K2 summit. He has summited G-I and G-II. He also summited Broad Peak’s subsidiary Rocky Summit – all of them above 8000m. He participated in the 1997 Sino-Pak expedition to Everest unable to make the summit and had to return 300m short.

8000er Profile:

1. 1992 – Gasherbrum I (8068m)
2. 1995 – K2 (8611m)
3. 1998 & 1999 -Gasherbrum II (8035m)
4. 2001 – Broad Peak Rocky Summit (8030m) – Not an independent mountain

Ashraf Aman

Ashraf Aman was nicknamed ‘the Himalayan Tiger’ has the honor of being first Pakistan to scale any 8000er. Aman was born in Aliabad, Hunza on 15th January 1943.

Since his teenage, he has been part of various mountaineering expeditions to Himalayan, Hindukush, and Karakoram peaks. He was a member of a second successful expedition, a Japanese-Pakistani joint venture to K2 in 1977. A total of seven climbers (six Japanese and one Pakistani) reached the summit in a span of two days. Aman became the first Pakistani to climb K2 or any peak above 8000m.

Qudrat Baig

Qudrat Ali from Shimshal Valley, Hunza is a Pakistani mountaineer. He is also the co-founder and instructor in Shimshal Mountaineering School and is a member of the Alpine Club.

He started his climbing career in 1991 in Shimhsal Mountains. He has climber 8000m peaks of Pakistan except for K2. He has extensively climbed many 7000m and 6000m peak in Pakistan. He ascended Nanga Parbat in 2001 without supplemental oxygen. He was the main climber to rise every one of the fourteen crests. He was part of winter expeditions on Broad Peak in 2008 and 2009.

1. Nanga Parbat 8125m (2001, 2005)
2. Gasherbrum I 8068m (2004)
3. Gasherbrum II 8035m (2000, 2003)
4. Broad Peak 8047m (1999, 2008, 2009)

Sarbaz Khan

Sarbaz Khan, who hails from Aliabad, Hunza who has climbed five 8000m peaks without supplementary oxygen. He started his mountaineering career in 2016 as part of an international expedition in 2017, he climbed Nanga Parbat (8,124m) in Pakistan, successfully reaching the summit on 2 October 2017.

Sarbaz Khan became the first Pakistani climber to scale Mt Lhotse (8,516-metre) and summited Mount Manaslu 8,163 m the world’s fourth and eighth highest peak located in Nepal. He has climbed all of 8000m peak on his first attempt except for K2 which he did on his 2nd attempt. He didn’t use any supplementary oxygen on any of his climbs.

1. K2 (8,611m)
2. Mount Lhotse 8,516m
3. Mount Makalu 8,485 m
4. Nanga Parbat (8,126m) First Autumn Expedition
5. Broad Peak (8,051m)

Nisar Hussain

Nisar Hussain Ali Sher from Skardu Sadpara was a mountaineer and High Altitude Porter. He was one of the famed and known mountaineers who has made several ascents on 8000m peaks in Pakistan. He is among the three people who have summited all 8000m peaks of Pakistan. He has made 10 ascents on the five 8000m peaks of Pakistan.

In an unfortunate winter expedition on Hidden Peak in 2012, he went missing along with his expedition team members. He was awarded President’s Pride of Performance Award in 2012, for his mountaineering feats.

In 2004, Nisar Hussain went on to become the youngest Pakistani to summit K2. He climbed all 8000ers without supplemental oxygen.

8000er Profile:-

1. K2 (2004)
2. Nanga Parbat (2008)
3. Gasherbrum II (1999, 2003, 2006, 2011)
4. Broad Peak (2000 )
5. Gasherbrum I (2003, 2006, 2007 )

Samina Baig

Samina Khayal Baig is a well known Pakistani high-altitude mountaineer who became the first Pakistani woman to climb Mount Everest in 2013. She went on to summit highest the peaks on each continent by 2014. She is the only Pakistani woman and youngest Muslim woman to climb Everest at the age of 21.

Before her major climbs around the world, she had climbed 6000 m peaks and attempted 7000m peaks in Pakistan.

8000ers

Mount Everest

Mirza Ali

Mirza Ali is high altitude mountaineer who became the first Pakistani to summit all seven highest mountains in each continent along with his sister Samina Baig.

8000ers:

Mount Everest

Fazal Ali

Fazal Ali from Shimshal Valley in Hunza is among the young mountaineers from Pakistan. He summitted K2 and was part of the same team as Sarbaz Khan. He began his climbing career in 2002. He has summited Spantik (7,027m) in Pakistan, and Muztagh Ata (7,509m). 8000 m climbs include

• K2 (8,124m)
• Gasherbrum I (8,080m) in China.

Shaheen Baig

Shaheen Baig is a mountaineer, high altitude porter, mountain guide, and instructor from Shimshal valley in Hunza, Pakistan. Apart from successfully climbing GII (2001) and K2 (2004).

Shaheen Baig started his mountaineering career in 1995 as a high altitude porter with a Korean expedition. In 1997, he summited Muztagh Ata (7546m) with a Japanese team. Shaheen’s first expedition to an 8000m peak was with a Japanese team that attempted Gasherbrum II in 2001. Multiple winter expeditions to 8000m peaks are an important part of Shaheen Baig’s profile. Shaheen Baig was a climbing partner of Simone Moro’s winter expedition on Broad Peak on both occasions.

8000 m peaks summitted:

• 2001 Gasherbrum II
• 2004 K2

In 2014 team of all Pakistani summitted K2. The team comprised of High Altitude Climbers, instructors, and guides. They have spent their lives climbing 8000m peaks several times but lack recognition. These are the toughest people in Pakistan. Most of them are part of ‘Concordia Rescue Team’. There is little information on the climbers but here is a list of their climb and achievements:

Ali Durrani

Ali Durrani is the youngest Pakistani to summit K2. He was 24 year old when he ascended the mountain in 2014. Previously he summited Broad Peak.

Hasan Jan

Hasan Jan belongs from Hushe Valley, Ghanche. Before K2 he has climbed Nanga Parbat, Char-Ku Za, Gasherbrum 2, and Broad Peak.

Mohammad Sadiq

Mohammad Sadiq is from Sadpara Skardu from where many high altitude climbers belong. Before K2 he has climbed G1, G2, and Broad Peak.

Ghulam Mehdi

Ghulam Mehdi from Hushe has conquered G1, G2, K7, Nanga Parbat, and Spantik before he did K2 in 2014.

Ali Rozi

Ali Rozi was part of the 2014 first all Pakistan team to summit K2. He belongs to Hushe Valley in Ghanche. He has climbed Broad Peak and G2.

Rehmatullah Baig

Rehmatullah Baig also part of the 2014 K2 team. He is from Shimshal and had been part of many rock climbing expeditions

Little Karim and Amir Mehdi

Although Little Karim and Amir Mehdi did not build their career as mountaineers. They both are respected and well known High altitude Climbers and are added to our list.

Amir Mehdi: Among the great Mountaineers who achieved great heights and achievement, it would be unfair to leave out Amir Mehdi, the pioneer of High Altitude Porter in Pakistan without whom climbing history in Pakistan might have been very different. He was on the team that successfully summited expedition to K2. He along with another Italian member was left to spend the night without camp over 8000 meters. He didn’t have proper shoes which led to him getting frostbite in both his feet.

Little Karim: Mohammad Karim is well known as ‘Little Karim’, a High Altitude Climber and Mountaineer who assisted numerous expeditions even carrying climber and mountaineers to save their life. Karim is well known amongst the mountaineer’s circles. His stories from climbing and going beyond to support climbers are amazing.

Tell us who is missing from our list. Its time to celebrate all our unsung heroes.