Nelly Attar among other foreign climbers begin K2 expedition

Some 1,400 foreign mountaineers are visiting Pakistan this year to scale world’s highest peaks in northern areas

Lebanese-Saudi fitness expert Nelly Attar is on the expedition of K2 alongside mountaineers from Pakistan and nearly a dozen other countries to summit the 'Savage Mountain'.

Climbers representing Pakistan as well as the United States, Lebanon, Nepal, Philippines, Estonia, Turkey, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Argentina, and the United Kingdom are part of the group.

Attar is one of the 1,400 foreign mountaineers who are visiting the country this year to scale different mountains located in Northern Pakistan.

She landed in Pakistan on June 18 and the next day, went to Skardu by road. After one week, she headed to the K2 base camp to become a part of the journey.

During her travel, she praised the local community for their assistance to the climbers.

Attar is one of the 1,400 foreign mountaineers who are visiting the country this year to scale different mountains in Northern Pakistan. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Nelly Attar and mountaineers from several other countries are part of the K2 expedition this year. PHOTO: EXPRESS

“I am embarking on the most challenging journey to climb K-2 on June 20,” the mountaineer told Arab News during an interview in Islamabad last month.

“I feel like there’s so much unknown, there’s so much to this journey that we will be embarking on, so I’m very excited,” she added.

She furthered, “I am not afraid, no matter what happens… I have big faith that Allah is always with us and never leaves us and has the best plans for us,” the climber said, urging other Arab and Pakistani women to pursue their dreams.

Attar started her career as a mental health professional later as an entrepreneur, with a focus on emerging sports industry in Saudi Arabia.

Recently, she was awarded the Female Fitness Influencer of the Year Award for the GCC at the FIT Awards hosted by Sport360 in Dubai.

Meanwhile, commenting on the large number of mountaineers aiming to scale the peaks in the country this year, Tourism Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Raja Nasir Ali Khan told AFP, "It's a record number".

Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said there were 57 expeditions planned for 23 peaks this season – with 370 climbers having a crack at K2.

He added that climbers this year include 90 women – including at least two Pakistanis aiming to become the country's first to scale K2.

Known as "the savage mountain", 8,611-metre (28,251-feet) K2 has harsh conditions – winds can blow at more than 200 kilometres per hour (124 miles per hour) and temperatures can drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 76 Fahrenheit).

Unlike the world's highest peak Mount Everest, which has been scaled by thousands of climbers young and old, K2 is much less travelled.

Pakistan is home to five of the world's 14 mountains higher than 8,000 metres, and climbing them all is considered the ultimate achievement of any mountaineer.

Around 200 climbers will attempt to scale the 8,051-metre Broad Peak, while similar numbers will try Gasherbrum-I (8,080 metres) and Gasherbrum-II (8,035 metres).

(With input from AFP)