Beyond Boundaries: Naila Kiani’s Quest to Master All 14 Eight-Thousanders
Naila Kiani, Pakistan’s first female mountaineer to conquer five 8-thousanders (peaks over 8,000m), has now set her sights on scaling all 14 peaks in the world.
A former banker in Dubai, Naila has left an indelible mark on the country’s mountaineering history, becoming the first and only Pakistani woman to achieve this extraordinary feat with a total of eight climbs so far.
Naila is optimistic about tackling the remaining six summits. In an exclusive interview with Geo News, she expressed her desire to climb as much and as soon as possible.
Her recent ascents of Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak marked her completion of scaling all five highest peaks within Pakistani territory.
A mother of two, Naila embarked on her mountaineering journey just two years ago when she became the first Pakistani woman to summit the 8,035m tall Gasherbrum II, the world’s 13th highest mountain.
What initially began as an experiment soon transformed into her passion, propelling her to pursue greater heights.
While Naila has always been involved in sports, she never envisioned herself as a mountaineer. Her interest was sparked during a visit to the K2 basecamp, where she observed mountaineers and felt a desire to experience the challenge of reaching the summit.
Starting with Gasherbrum II, Naila’s successful ascent motivated her to pursue one peak after another. Her climbs include K2, Gasherbrum I, Annapurna, Mount Everest, Lhotse, Nanga Parbat, and Broad Peak.
Out of these climbs, Naila was the first Pakistani woman to summit six out of eight peaks. Although Samina Baig, from Hunza, had beaten Naila to K2 by a few hours and also climbed Everest in 2013, Naila has now solidified her position as the country’s most accomplished female mountaineer.
Reflecting on her achievements, Naila expressed a sense of disbelief and wonder at how she managed to accomplish so much in such a short span of time.
While the journey was challenging, with numerous obstacles, Naila’s belief in the possibility of achievement never wavered. She mentioned that leaving her two and four-year-old daughters behind during expeditions is difficult, but thoughts of them provide her with strength and motivation.
Naila stressed the need for better support from the public sector for mountaineers in Pakistan, emphasizing the necessity of improving infrastructure and rescue facilities. She aims to set an example for her daughters, inspiring them to believe that nothing is impossible in this world.
To aspiring female mountaineers, Naila offers a powerful message: always keep your goals alive and aim for ambitious targets, because there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.
