Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Uzma Yousaf on Wednesday wrote her name in the record books, as she became the first Pakistani women to scale 7,027-metre-high Spantik peak in the Spantik-Sosbun Mountains sub-range of Karakoram in Nagar Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Uzma’s high altitude team included Wajid Ullah Nagri, Asghar Hussain and Yaseen.

Also known as Golden Peak, Spantik has gained significant popularity amongst expedition climbers recently.

“We’ve arrived at the top of Spantik at 9:16am today (Wednesday). I’m really happy at the achievement. I know people in Pakistan are gearing up to celebrate Independence Day on August 14. My joy has multiplied as I’ve been able to carry Pakistan’s flag at the top of Spantik at this moment,” jubilant Uzma told APP on the phone from atop Spantik.

The 43-year-old, who started her climbing career by scaling 6,050-metre Mingling Sar in October last year and 5,098-metre Rush Peak in February this year, said that it took her team 31 days to complete the voyage. “It was really tough… The snow was not allowing us to move. But we did not give up and … and finally we made it,” she said.

She said her successful expedition was a proof that with determination and passion, challenges could be overcome and dreams materialised. Her husband Yousaf Akhtar, who financed and backed the expedition, said he was proud of his wife. “She is really a talented lady. Though she has not been trained like other mountaineers, she had been making meticulous preparations for this climb for the past several months. Her hard work has paid off,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, August 3^nd 2017.