Twin peaks: Ain’t no mountain high enough for the Baigs

Mirza and Samina talk to students at AKU about climbing seven peaks in seven continents.

KARACHI: In the years mountaineer Mirza Ali Baig spent in Karachi, he used to travel from Tariq Road to Garden on foot. On an average it used to take him 90 minutes every day. He has worked as a helper, a cook and now he is scaling new heights Mirza and his sister Samina Baig - Pakistan’s first female and youngest Muslim to have climbed Mount Everest shared details of their adventures during a lecture at the Aga Khan University Sport and Rehabilitation Centre on Thursday. The auditorium was packed with students from schools and colleges.

The brother sister duo have scaled seven highest peaks in seven continents. Speaking at the event, Mirza said that he had faced many difficulties.



“I didn’t go to a private school. I didn’t even have enough money to buy a pair of shoes when I started climbing mountains at the age of 15,” he said. “I went to a government school in my village and I managed to achieve my dreams.” He added that his village had no electricity or internet but they prioritised education.

He claimed that he wanted to build a school in his village and had been using social media for seven years to generate the funds. “I accomplished the task with a lot of commitment,” he said. “You can do anything you want. All you need to do is put in some extra work.”

Samina believes that contrary to the proverb that behind every successful man there is a woman the reason for her success was her brother. She thanked her brother for his support and encouragement. She said that her aim was to motivate women living in rural areas do achieve their dreams.

“If you are committed, you must be focused,” said Mirza. “Samina’s work is out of the ordinary. The women in Pakistan don’t think about climbing mountains but believe me they can do it if they want. I started my journey when I had nothing.” He added that he wanted to promote extreme sports in Pakistan.

After Samina’s first success on May 6, 2013, the mountaineering siblings planned to climb seven peaks in the seven continents.

“We always said we would do it and we did,” he said. “We are trying to do good things for Pakistan. We are proud to be Pakistanis.”

Sharing his experience of the Everest on the 60th anniversary of the Mount Everest’s first summit, Mirza said that it was not an easy task. “It was  minus 30 degrees,” he said. “Our faces were frozen. We are exhausted but did not stop.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2014.