Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Khan achieves extraordinary feat: conquers all 8,000-metre peaks in the world
Sirbaz Khan has written a new chapter in the history of Pakistani mountaineering.
He has become the first Pakistani to conquer all 14 peaks in the world that are over 8,000 metres high.
In his latest success, Sirbaz Khan summited the 8,027-metre-high Shishapangma, marking it as his 14th "eight-thousander" peak.
After conquering this peak, he joins the elite group of mountaineers worldwide who have achieved this honour.
Hailing from Hunza, Sirbaz Khan embarked on his journey to conquer the world's 14 highest peaks in 2017, starting with the dangerous 8,126-metre Nanga Parbat. This successful ascent marked the beginning of his quest to summit all the eight-thousanders. Over the years, Khan tackled some of the most formidable mountains, including K2 in July 2018 and Lhotse in May 2019, where he became the first Pakistani to reach the 8,516-metre summit.
In July 2019, he added Broad Peak to his accomplishments, scaling its 8,051-metre summit without supplementary oxygen—a signature achievement in many of his climbs. That same year, in September, he summited Nepal's 8,163-metre Manaslu, becoming only the second Pakistani to do so.
Khan's perseverance never faltered, and in April 2021, he became the first Pakistani to reach the summit of Annapurna, one of the deadliest mountains. A month later, he conquered Mount Everest, the tallest peak on Earth at 8,849 metres.
In July 2021, Khan led an all-Pakistani team to the top of the 8,035-metre Gasherbrum II, further establishing himself as a prominent figure in high-altitude mountaineering. Just a few months later, in October 2021, he became the first Pakistani to conquer the 8,167-metre Dhaulagiri.
Continuing his record-breaking streak in 2022, Khan summited Kangchenjunga in May and Makalu later that month, becoming the first Pakistani to climb both. In August, he led another successful expedition to Gasherbrum I, marking his 12th eight-thousander summit.
In October 2023, Khan achieved another milestone by becoming the first Pakistani to summit the 8,188-metre Cho Oyu. Finally, on October 4, 2024, with the successful ascent of Shishapangma, Khan completed his mission, becoming the first Pakistani to conquer all 14 of the world's highest peaks.
Notably, Sirbaz Khan climbed 11 of these peaks without supplemental oxygen, a feat that is considered highly challenging and dangerous.
In 2023, he also summited Cho Oyu, and with his successful summit of Shishapangma, he has now become the first Pakistani to achieve this historic goal.
Here are the details of all 8-thousanders summited by Sirbaz Khan, who hails from the Hunza Valley:
- Nanga Parbat (8,126 metres) - Date: 2nd October 2017
- K2 (8,611 metres) - Date: 22nd July 2018
- Lhotse (8,516 metres) - Date: 14th May 2019
Record: First Pakistani to summit Lhotse - Broad Peak (8,051 metres) - Date: 11th July 2019
Record: Summited without supplemental oxygen - Manaslu (8,163 metres) - Date: 25th September 2019
Record: Second Pakistani to summit Manaslu - Annapurna (8,091 metres) - Date: 16th April 2021
Record: First Pakistani to summit Annapurna - Mount Everest (8,849 metres) - Date: 12th May 2021
- Gasherbrum II (8,035 metres) - Date: 18th July 2021
- Dhaulagiri (8,167 metres) - Date: 1st October 2021
Record: First Pakistani to summit Dhaulagiri - Kangchenjunga (8,586 metres) - Date: 7th May 2022
Record: First Pakistani to summit 10 eight-thousanders - Makalu (8,481 metres) - Date: 28th May 2022
Record: First Pakistani to summit Makalu - Gasherbrum I (8,080 metres) - Date: 12th August 2022
Record: First Pakistani to summit Gasherbrum I - Cho Oyu (8,188 metres) - Date: 2nd October 2023
Record: First Pakistani to summit 13 eight-thousanders - Shishapangma (8,027 metres) - Date: 4th October 2024
Record: First Pakistani to summit all 14 eight-thousanders
This achievement of summiting all 14 peaks showcases Sirbaz Khan’s determination, skill, and bravery, placing Pakistan on the global mountaineering map.
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