GILGIT – For the first time, a six-member team of Pakistani women climbers embarked on a historic expedition on Monday to scale K2, the world’s second-highest peak.

The team includes seasoned climbers Anum Uzair from Lahore, sisters Amina Hanif and Siddiqa Hanif from Hushe Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghanche district, Bibi Afzoon and Sultana Nasab from Hunza, and Shama Baqir.

Organized by Imagine Climb, a mountain trekking and climbing company led by renowned Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Khan, the 45-day expedition is sponsored by the Pakistan Army. Khan, who has ascended 11 of the world’s 14 highest peaks, will guide the all-women team through their journey.

“All preparations for the expedition are complete,” Khan confirmed.

“Being part of an all-women team is incredibly empowering, it feels like we’re breaking barriers and challenging societal norms,” said Anum Uzair, the expedition’s co-leader.

Known as the “Savage Mountain,” K2 in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region is often considered a more daunting challenge than Mount Everest. The mountain has claimed many lives in the quest to reach its summit.

Uzair, who with her husband Ahmed Uzair became the first Pakistani couple to summit Nepal’s Mount Manaslu in September 2023, expressed her long-standing fascination with K2.

In preparation, the team underwent a week-long climbing training at Sadpara Mountaineering School earlier this month. Uzair emphasized the importance of this training, noting that extreme weather and high-altitude sickness are significant challenges.

Amina Hanif, granddaughter of the late legendary Pakistani climber Little Karim, expressed her familiarity with mountaineering due to her family’s background.

Hanif, however, acknowledged the dangers of the “Bottleneck,” a notorious and perilous section on K2’s climbing route.

Hanif urged Pakistani men to support the women in their lives and help them achieve their aspirations.