Samina Baig reached the top of the highest peak in the world at around 7:30am last Sunday becoming the first Pakistani woman.
The 21-year-old mountaineer is from the Shimshal valley of Hunza. On Saturday night, Samina Baig sent her brother a message how she had reached Base Camp IV at the height of 7,900 metres on the South Col between Mt Everest and Lhoste, the fourth highest mountain in the world, after eight hours of hard climbing.
To the surprise of many in the mountaineering community, Samina Baig summited Mount Everest with twin sisters from India - Tashi and Nugshi Malik - also 21 years old and her 29-year-old brother Mirza Ali.
Both Mirza Ali and Samina Baig took everyone by surprise when they held a press conference in Islamabad a day before leaving for Nepal on March 31.
The two were joining a gathering of climbers at the Mount Everest to celebrate 60 years since it was first summited in 1953. Samina Beg said she was about to become the first Pakistani woman to be part of it.
While the climbers from around the world were celebrating the 60 years, the 21-year-old climber was accompanying her brother with another mission.
“Together we are promoting gender equality,” said Samina Baig. Although the brother and sister had not attempted any of the five 8,000 metres plus peaks in Pakistan, the climbing community was in doubt of the pair’s success rate.
Samina Baig and her brother had been climbing for the last three years together.
In 2010, she became the first to ascend the virgin peak Chashkin Sar (above 6,000 meters) now called the ‘Samina Peak’. She conquered another virgin peak in 2011 that was named ‘Koh-i-Brobar’ or the ‘Mount Equality’ in 2011. Samina Baig and her brother were not so lucky on the 7,027 metres high Spantik Peak when bad weather forced them to abandon their summit attempts.
You can visit Samina Baigs' Facebook page
HERE to track her activities
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS