Two expedition teams, comprising international climbers and famous Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig, began their journey to the summit of K2 on Friday.
From Shigar, they began their journey to the K2 base camp.
Ms Baig, whose trip has been funded by Special Communication Organisation (SCO), told reporters in Shigar before beginning the journey that she and five local high altitude guides had begun the adventure entitled “K2 dream expedition 2021.”
She stated they’d remain at K2 for two months to finish the mission, and that the summit’s goal was to raise awareness about women’s empowerment and climate change, as well as offer chances for local climbers to reach high peaks.
At the age of 21, Samina Baig, a native of Gilgit-Baltistan, became the first Pakistani woman to summit Mount Everest (8,849), the world’s highest mountain.
Ms. Baig expressed her desire to climb K2 and begged for prayers for a successful summit.
If she succeeds in climbing K2, she will be the first Pakistani to do it.
Remembering Ali Sadpara, she said: “He [Sadpara] was one of the most amazing climbers in Pakistan and a great human being,” she recalled.
In the meanwhile, another Joint Pakistan-International Broad Peak and K2 Expedition set off from Shigar for the K2 base camp.
Both trips are being directed by Mirza Ali, a famous climber who climbed Everest in 2019 and is also Samina Baig’s brother.
Mr Ali told Dawn that the trip included 13 foreign climbers from the UAE, Qatar, Spain, Austria, Greece, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Finland, as well as 24 local mountaineers from Shimshal, Sadpara, Hushe, and Arandu. He said that the expedition’s objective should be completed by August 8.
