Pakistani climber Shehroze Kashif made history on Wednesday by becoming the youngest climber from Pakistan to successfully summit all 14 peaks which are taller than 8,000 metres after he summitted the 8,027 metre-tall Shishapangma in Tibet.
Known as “Broad Boy” in the climbing community for having created a Guinness World Record for climbing the 8,051 metre Broad Peak in Pakistan in July 2019 at the age of 17, Kashif is only the second Pakistani to climb all 14 mountains taller than 8,000 metres following the record set by fellow climber Sirbaz Khan last week.
The mountaineering journey of the 22-year-old climber from Lahore began in 2019 when he summited his first 8,000 metre mountain, Broad Peak. This early success catapulted him into the international climbing spotlight.
Over the next few years, Kashif continued to demonstrate his exceptional climbing abilities. In 2021, he reached the summits of Mount Everest, Manaslu, and K2, solidifying his status as a formidable mountaineer. The following year, he added Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, and Gasherbrum II to his list of achievements. Last year, he further showcased his prowess by conquering Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Cho Oyu.
Although Kashif was set to attempt Shishapangma last year and claim the record of the youngest mountaineer ever to climb all 14 mountains taller than 8,000 metres, an accident on the mountain involving other mountaineers forced the Chinese government to shut the mountain down for climbing lest there were further accidents. However, his determination led him to succeed this year, fulfilling his dream of climbing all 14 peaks.
In a message, Karrar Haidri, the general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed Kashif's summit. “On October 9, 2024, at 3:30 am PST, Shehroze Kashif successfully reached the summit of Shishapangma (8,027 meters), completing his journey of climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks.”
Kashif's summit expedition had been organised by Nepalese mountain climbing company Seven Summit Treks, which also confirmed Kashif’s ascent.
In another significant milestone, Nepal's Nima Rinji Sherpa, at just 18 years and 5 months, became the youngest person to summit all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters, with the ascent of Mount Shishapangma on October 9, 2024.