Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Khan has reached a new milestone in the world of high-altitude climbing, completing a journey that began in 2017 and has taken him to the summits of the world’s most formidable peaks. On Sunday, Khan reached the top of Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain at 8,586 meters, at 11:50 a.m. local time, marking the end of a years-long quest.
Khan, a resident of Hunza Valley, had previously climbed all 14 of the world’s “eight-thousanders”—mountains above 8,000 meters. However, on two of those climbs, he had used bottled oxygen near the summit. Determined to achieve the rare distinction of summiting all 14 without supplemental oxygen, he returned this season to re-climb Annapurna in April and Kangchenjunga in May, both without artificial oxygen support.
With this accomplishment, Sirbaz Khan becomes the first Pakistani to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks without using supplemental oxygen. He now joins an elite group of around 70 climbers worldwide who have completed all 14 peaks, and fewer than 25 who have done so entirely without oxygen—a feat that demands extraordinary endurance and resilience in the so-called “death zone” above 8,000 meters.
Khan’s journey began with his successful ascent of Nanga Parbat in 2017. Over the years, he went on to conquer K2, Lhotse, Broad Peak, Manaslu, Annapurna, Everest, Gasherbrum II, Dhaulagiri, Kangchenjunga, Makalu, Gasherbrum I, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma. His determination and leadership have made him a trailblazer in Pakistani mountaineering, inspiring a new generation of climbers.
Sirbaz Khan’s achievement comes less than a year after he first completed all 14 peaks, but his decision to re-climb Annapurna and Kangchenjunga without oxygen has set a new standard for Pakistani climbers. His accomplishment is being celebrated as a historic moment for the country and for the global mountaineering community.