Nelly Attar, a Lebanese-Saudi fitness expert has embarked on the journey to attempt K2 (8,610-metre), the world’s second highest peak, Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said on Wednesday.
“She has reached at the camp-I and hopefully will be moving to the camp-II tomorrow [Thursday],” Karrar Haidri, secretary ACP told APP.
Nelly started her career as a mental health pro-fessional, and later as an entrepreneur, focused on the emerging sport industry in Saudi Arabia. Recently, she has been awarded the Female Fitness Influencer of the Year Award for the GCC at the FIT Awards hosted by Sport360 in Dubai.
“Before departing on her mission from Islamabad she told us that through her climbs she wanted to inspire women in Pakistan and across the Middle East,” Haidri said.
She landed in Pakistan along with a foreign ex-pedition outfit that includes mountaineers from Lebanon, USA, Nepal, Philippines, Estonia, Turkiye, New Zealand, Australia, UK, Hong Kong and Ar-gentina. Some Pakistan porters and climbers are accompanying the team.
Nelly went to Skardu by road and one week later, she proceeded to K2 base camp and was all praise for the local community for its unprecedented assistance to the foreign climbers.
So far, less than 20 women from across the world have been able to summit K2. Nelly, who ascended Mount Everest in 2019, took to her Insta-gram account stating, “It [K2] is a sharp climb uphill throughout. Every step you take is a forward and upward. Multiple Avalanches unfolded right before our eyes, and we had to dodge multiple rock falls. This mountain is ALIVE. K2 sure keeps you on your toes every second you are moving. Alham-dulilah, we are safe and sound at camp 1.”
According to Karrar Haidri, the popularity of Pakistan’s captivating mountains is growing across the globe at a rapid pace as for the first time in recent history over 1400 international climbers have applied to attempt its 6,000 to 8,000-metre peaks, this summer. “This number is quite staggering as com-pared to the last year when 550 climbers tried their luck,” he reckoned.
“Several teams have arrived in Pakistan, while multiple outfits have already set off on the trekking mission. Around 57 expeditions across 23 peaks with a combined total of 672 climbers [576 male and 96 female] had been issued permits.
“So far, the permits have been issued till August. But as the summer season will continue till September, the rest of the expeditions will get permits with due course of time,” he added.
He said a stunning 400 international climbers will be attempting K2 this season. “This is quite encouraging as with such a large number of moun-taineers in our country, we are in a position now to lead on the global climbing stage,” he said.
Haidri credited the busy climbing season to the introduction of online visas and the peaceful condi-tions in Pakistan.
Five of the 14 above 8000m peaks in the world, including the world’s second highest peak K2, Nanga Parbat (8,126m), Gasherbrum I (8080m), Broad Peak (8051m), Gasherbrum II (8,035m) are located in Pakistan. Besides these five peaks.—AFP
