Nepalese K2 climbers welcomed in Islamabad

Nepalese climbers who became the first mountaineers to successfully scale the treacherous K2 peak during winters reached Islamabad on Thursday.

The skilful mountaineers also met with President Dr Arif Alvi. A ceremony to honour the brave climbers will also be held at the Pakistan Sports Complex.

The team of climbers arrived at the Islamabad Airport from Skardu on PIA’s flight PK452, where they received a warm welcome from senior officials of the Alpine Club. They were escorted to a private hotel in the federal capital under tight security.

The team of Nepalese climbers made history last week after becoming the first to summit Pakistan's K2 in winter, according to a trekking company leading one of the expeditions.

The mountaineers included Nirmal Purja, Gelje Sherpa, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Sherpa, Ashok Rai, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Pem Chhiri Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Dawa Tenjing Sherpa, Sandro Hayes, Adriana Brownly, Nathalie Chantal and Marc Marie.

Dozens of mountaineers have been competing over the past few weeks to summit the world's second highest mountain, the last peak above 8,000 metres to be topped in wintertime.

On January 17, a day after the mountaineers were reported to have successfully climbed the K2, Pakistan felicitated the team of mountaineers for making history by reaching the summit of Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, in winter.

Calling the expedition as “one of the most coveted achievements in mountaineering,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri wished the climbers a safe return from the peak.

“Pakistan: The ultimate destination of mountaineering,” the spokesperson remarked on Twitter.