Naila Kiani became the first Pakistan female mountaineer to set foot on the Kanchenjunga peak, the world's third highest mountain, as she continued to her journey to scale all the 8,000 metres high mountains, commonly known as the 'Eight Thousandars'.
The 8,586-metre high Kanchenjunga peak is the 12th Eight Thousandar, summited by Kiani. With two more, she would join the 17 elite women mountaineers in the world who have conquered all the 14 Eight Thousandars. She now sets her sight on Cho Oyu and Shishapangma.
In just under three years, she became the first Pakistani woman to summit 11 of the 14 Eight Thousandars – K2 (8,611m); Everest (8,848m); Lhotse (8,516m); Makalu (8,485m); Annapurna I (8,091m); besides Broad Peak, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Gasherbrum I and II, and Nanga Parbat. In 2023 alone, she achieved the extraordinary feat of summiting seven 8,000-meter peaks within just six months, placing her in the company of only a handful of climbers worldwide to have accomplished such a milestone in a single climbing season.
Kiani, a former banker and mother of two, is not just a climber but an environment activist, who inspires a generation of Pakistani women to dream beyond the boundaries placed before them. She is a passionate advocate for sustainable climbing.
Previously, she led environmental campaigns, such as a high-altitude clean-up at K2, and a recovery mission for Pakistani porter Muhammad Hassan Shigri, bringing closure to his grieving family, according to The BARD Foundation, which supports Kiani's expeditions.
"Naila represents the very spirit we aim to nurture at BARD: resilience, courage, and the unwavering pursuit of excellence.
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