Pakistani climber Sirbaz Khan summits Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen

KATHMANDU:  In another milestone, Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Ali Khan scaled the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest without using supplementary oxygen, it emerged on Tuesday. 

Sirbaz Ali became the second Pakistani climber to achieve this milestone without artificial oxygen, Sajid Sadpara had previously accomplished this feat.

The Hunza-based climber had previously summited the 8849-meter Mt. Everest using supplementary oxygen. The climber reached the top of the mountain earlier today at around 12:30 PST.

With this feat, Sirbaz became the first and only Pakistani to summit 11 Eight-thousander without using bottled oxygen.  He has also climbed 13 of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 meters.

Only Annapurna and Kangchenjunga were summited using oxygen support among the 13 eight-thousanders that Sirbaz has already summited.

Earlier this year, Sirbaz had to delay the plan to summit Shishapangma — his 14th and final eight-thousander — after Chinese authorities refused to open the mountain for climbing this season.

Naila Kiani, who recently became the first Pakistani woman to scale the fifth highest peak in the world, congratulated Sirbaz for climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen and a personal Sherpa.

“Sirbaz is also the only Pakistani to climb Everest twice. Climbing Everest without oxygen is a true test of human grit. Congratulations, Ustad,” she added.