Munir Ahmed
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD (AP) — On July 22, a woman from Pakistan and another from Iran appeared to be the first in their country to climb K2, the world’s first, a climbing official said. The second highest mountain and one of the most dangerous. A few minutes later, a second Pakistani woman reached the top.
Samina Baig, 32, from a remote village in northern Pakistan, was the first to raise her country’s green and white flag on the 28,250-foot peak of K2.
Iran’s Afsaneh Hesamifard followed and was praised for his achievements in Farsi-language posts on social media. She became the third woman to climb Mount Everest in May, according to Iranian media.
The two women were among several to successfully summit K2 on July 22, said Karrar Haidri, chief officer of the Pakistan Alpine Club, which helps the government coordinate the ascent and act in an emergency. reaction.
Haidri said the second female Pakistani climber, Naila Kiyani, was among the women’s team to reach the summit of K2, but Baig appeared to have reached the summit minutes earlier.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif congratulated two Pakistani women, saying they proved that women are not behind men in mountaineering. The U.S. embassy in Pakistan tweeted its congratulations to Pakistani women, while the Iranian diplomatic mission in Pakistan tweeted its congratulations to Hersami Fad.
Located on the China-Pakistan border in the Karakoram Mountains, K2 is one of the deadliest on record, with most climbers dying on the descent, and the slightest bit of carelessness can trigger an avalanche and be fatal. Only a few hundred people made it to the top. By comparison, Mount Everest has been summited more than 9,000 times.
Separately, Afghan climber Ali Akbar Sakki died of a heart attack while trying to climb K2, Heydri said. He was part of the climbing team that reached the summit on July 22.
K2 is considered extremely difficult to climb, and not only is it the second highest mountain after Everest, its ascent and descent are also considered more challenging than the world’s highest peak.
K2 is also the coldest and windiest climbing route. Along the route, climbers have to climb 80 degrees on almost steep rock faces while avoiding frequent and unpredictable avalanches.
The latest record comes a day after Nepalese climber Sanu Sherpa set a new mountaineering record, having twice summited 14 of the world’s highest peaks.
In July, the Pakistani military airlifted two Pakistani climbers, including becoming the youngest to climb K2 after the pair went missing while climbing Nanga Parbat, known as “Killer Mountain” because of its dangerous conditions. people in the safe zone.
