Renowned Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Khan has made history by successfully peaking Mount Kangchenjunga (8,586 metres) without supplementary oxygen, Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) announced on Sunday.
The ascent, achieved at 5:00 AM Nepal Time (NPT), makes him the first Pakistani to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks without the aid of bottled oxygen.
Sirbaz’s accomplishment places him among a select few elite climbers globally to achieve this feat.
He has successfully climbed the following 14 peaks above 8,000 metres without relying on bottled oxygen: Everest (8,848 m), K2 (8,611 m), Kangchenjunga (8,586 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,485 m), Cho Oyu (8,188 m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Manaslu (8,163 m), Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m), Gasherbrum I (8,080 m), Broad Peak (8,051 m), Gasherbrum II (8,035 m), and Shishapangma (8,027 m).
His summit of Mt. Kangchenjunga was undertaken in pure alpine style, characterized by minimal equipment, the absence of fixed ropes or camps established by Sherpas and crucially, no supplementary oxygen. This demanding approach underscores the magnitude of his accomplishment.
Karrar Haidri, Secretary of the ACP, lauded Sirbaz’s historic achievement. “Sirbaz Khan has brought immense pride to the entire nation. To complete all 14 eight-thousanders without oxygen is an extraordinary and heroic feat. He embodies the resilience, skill and bravery of Pakistan on the world’s highest mountains.”
Sirbaz, who hails from Gilgit-Baltistan, has dedicated his mountaineering career to representing Pakistan on the world’s highest stages and inspiring future generations of climbers.