Nanga Parbat records season's first summit
Seven Summit Treks climbers reach the 8,126-metre peak as Pakistan's summer mountaineering season gathers pace
A Nepali-led expedition has successfully climbed Pakistan's Nanga Parbat, expedition organisers said on Tuesday, marking one of the first major ascents of the country's summer climbing season.
Kathmandu-based Seven Summit Treks said its team reached the 8,126-metre summit on Tuesday morning after a successful push that included Nepali rope-fixing climbers and international clients.
The rope-fixing team comprised Nepali climbers Mingtemba Sherpa ("Mote"), Pasang Dukpa Sherpa, Dawa Rinji Sherpa, Pasang Nurbu Sherpa ("Makpa") and Pasang Nurbu Sherpa.
Among those reaching the summit were Chinese climber Tao Hu, Ukrainian Antonina Samoilova and Lithuanian Mindaugas Satkauskas, all pursuing the challenge of climbing the world's 14 peaks above 8,000 metres. They were joined by Nepali climbers Dawa Sherpa ("Italian Dawa"), Dendi Sherpa, Lakpa Temba Sherpa and Pakistani climber Abbas Ali Mehdi.
Nanga Parbat is the world's ninth-highest mountain. Located in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region, it is renowned for its steep faces, unpredictable weather and technical difficulty, making it one of the most challenging of the world's 14 peaks above 8,000 metres.
The ascent comes as Pakistan's summer climbing season gathers momentum following the end of Nepal's spring Everest season.
Nepali climbers and expedition companies have become dominant players on the world's highest mountains, organising commercial expeditions across Nepal, Pakistan and China, home to all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres.
After the spring Himalayan season, many Nepali guides move directly to Pakistan's Karakoram range, while others lead expeditions on North America's Denali and Russia's Mount Elbrus, reflecting the increasingly year-round nature of Nepal's mountaineering industry.
In recent years, Nepali operators have evolved from serving primarily as logistics providers for foreign companies to organising and leading their own international expeditions, including the Seven Summits challenge and all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks.
