ISLAMABAD: Four women mountaineers from Gilgit-Baltistan have successfully climbed Pakistan’s 7,027-meter Spantik Peak without the assistance of high-altitude porters, completing a challenging expedition that also included a Romanian climber battling cancer and a young mountaineer from Punjab.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed Monday that Shama Baqir and Samana Rahim of Shimshal Valley, Zooni Aslam of Gulmit Valley in Gojal, Upper Hunza, and Zaiba Batool Shigri of Shigar district reached the summit and safely returned to Skardu.
Bismah Hassan of Lahore was also part of the expedition but turned back about 250 meters below the summit after experiencing a health problem.
Alpine Club General Secretary Ayaz Shigri said the women reached the summit either a day before or on the same day that climber Dr Asma Mushtaq died while descending from the mountain.
Weather conditions were favorable at the peak before Friday, Shigri said, but deteriorating weather later complicated rescue and recovery efforts.
The expedition also featured Romanian climber Alexandra Visan, who successfully summited Spantik despite battling cancer. She safely descended with local high-altitude porter Ali Ameen of Shigar.
Her expedition was organized by Broad Boy Adventures, owned by Pakistani mountaineer Shehroze Kashif. Kashif described Visan’s climb on social media as a testament to perseverance and determination.
Punjab climber Ayyan Adeel also reached the summit. According to Kashif, Adeel became the youngest climber to summit Spantik without high-altitude porter support, carrying his own equipment with assistance from fellow expedition members Awais Choudary and Talha Khalid.
The successful ascents have provided encouragement to Pakistan’s mountaineering community, but rescue operations on Spantik remain difficult.
Dr Mushtaq died Thursday at an altitude of about 6,250 meters while descending from the summit. Her body remains at Camp 3.
A six-member team of high-altitude porters reached Camp 2 on Sunday and attempted to advance toward Camp 3, but heavy rain and snowfall forced them to retreat, Shigri said.
Weather conditions are expected to improve Tuesday, allowing rescuers to make another attempt to bring Mushtaq’s body down to base camp. Pakistan Army helicopters are then expected to airlift the body to Skardu.
Bad weather has also disrupted recovery operations at 8,047-meter Broad Peak, where the body of American climber Sarah Mallory Geis remains at base camp awaiting helicopter transport.
The latest expeditions highlight both the growing participation of women and young climbers in Pakistan’s mountaineering community.