Sultana Bibi Becomes Third Pakistani Woman to Climb K2, the Second Highest Mountain in the World
Another female Pakistani mountaineer, Sultana Bibi, has scaled K2, the second highest mountain in the world, marking her achievement among the few women from the country who have reached the summit of the "savage mountain .
Sultana completed her ascent earlier this morning (Monday), becoming the third female mountaineer from Pakistan to accomplish this feat. Prior to Sultana, Samina Baig and Niala Kiani were the first two women to summit the 8,611-meter peak. Samina Baig was the first-ever woman from Pakistan to scale K2 in July 2022, followed closely by Niala Kiani.
Departing from Skardu in June, Sultana joined two teams of climbers aiming to conquer the treacherous mountain located on the Pakistan-China border. Her team comprised six female climbers from Pakistan, while the other was a joint expedition of Pakistani and Italian climbers.
Renowned Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Ali led Sultana to the second highest peak in the world. K2 is notoriously known as the “savage mountain” after mountaineer George Bell famously remarked, "It's a savage mountain that tries to kill you."
The mountain’s death zone is extremely hazardous, with a fatality rate of approximately 23 deaths per 100 climbers, according to Ultimate Kilimanjaro. The unpredictable weather, frequent avalanches and rock falls, and challenging routes to the summit make K2 life-threatening for climbers.
