Pak climber becomes world’s youngest mountaineer to scale K2

A 19-year old Pakistani climber on Tuesday became the youngest person in the world to reach the summit of K2, the second-highest peak in the world.

Shehroze Kashif from Lahore achieved the feat of scaling the 8,611-metre high peak with the aid of bottled oxygen.

“Good News! Received the confirmation from K2 Base Camp that Shehroze Kashif has summited K2 8611-M. It’s a new world record!!!!!!!!!! Youngest in the world to stand on top of K2 8611-M at the age of 19 years. Congratulations!,” Karrar Haidri, Secretary Alpine Club of Pakistan, said in a statement.

Before Kashif, Sajid Sadpara, the son of the legendary climber Muhammad Ali Sadpara, was the youngest person to have climbed K2 at the age of 20.

Kashif also scaled the world”s 12th-highest mountain, the 8,047-meter Broad Peak, at the age of 17. In May this year, he became the youngest Pakistani to scale Mount Everest.

His mother, Nadia Kashif, in a message to the media said Kashif is a strong and passionate climber.

“I told his father not to be worried, and that he never disappoints,” she said.

“I was talking to him (Kashif) the other day and I asked him if he misses his home and he replied, ”I am at home”. How could you stop someone who believes that his home is where the mountains are?” she said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated the young mountaineer.

“Congratulations Pakistan!! Pakistani mountaineer Shehroz Kashif (@shehrozekashif2) has become the youngest mountaineer in the world to summit K2 – the world”s second highest peak,” Khan tweeted.

The US embassy also congratulated him.

“Congratulations Pakistan! @Shehrozekashif2 has set the record for being the youngest Pakistani to reach the K2 summit! What an amazing accomplishment! Congratulations Shehroze Kashif!” it tweeted.

Haidri also said that a separate group of four other Pakistani climbers from Hushe Valley reached the top of K2, also known as the Savage Mountain.

Pakistan, Nepal and China are home to the 14 highest peaks in the world, also known as the 8,000ers. Five 8,000-metre peaks, including K2 and Nanga Parbat are in Pakistan.

Nanga Parbat and K2 are considered as the most difficult and challenging by the climbers.