Dubai-based mountaineer Naila Kiani etched her name in history on Wednesday by leading a team of eight climbers in the recovery of Muhammad Hassan Shigri's body from an 8,200-metre peak on K2. This marked the highest recovery ever conducted on the world's second-highest mountain, a task that spanned three days from the bottleneck to the base camp.
Hassan's tragic demise last year garnered global attention due to ethical concerns, as some reports suggested that despite his dire condition, fellow climbers passed him by without aid. Additionally, it was noted that the young climber was ill-equipped and inexperienced for the expedition. The team successfully excavated the body from the snow at the bottleneck on Monday and transported it to the advanced base camp (ABC) by approximately 6.30pm local time on Wednesday.
Kiani revealed that she was contacted by Hassan's family for help while she was involved in the K2 clean-up project, which was initiated on humanitarian grounds with the backing of UAE's Mashreq Bank. Despite securing the necessary clearance just a week before the summit attempt, the team was swiftly assembled to capitalize on the favorable weather conditions, turning this into a critical, albeit last-minute, operation.
Kiani emphasized the indispensable roles of the high-altitude climbers, the logistical support provided by Imran Ali, and the backing of Shigar's deputy commissioner, Wali Ullah Fallahi, in making the mission possible. In May 2024, Kiani scaled Makalu, the world's fifth-highest peak at 8,485 metres, becoming the first Pakistani woman to conquer 11 of the world's 14 highest mountains, all exceeding 8,000 metres in height.
This unprecedented rescue operation on K2 from such a high altitude coincided with the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of K2. Kiani, a Pakistani native based in Dubai, explained that previous efforts to fund similar expeditions were prohibitively expensive and failed to gain approval for the body retrieval. She highlighted that by conducting this mission on a not-for-profit basis, the team reduced the costs to a third of the original estimates presented to the Gilgit Baltistan government.
The team comprised five climbers: Dilawar Sadpara, Akbar Hussein Sadpara, Zakir Hussein Sadpara, Mohammed Murad Sadpara, Ali Mohammed Sadpara, along with logistics manager Imran Ali and Wali Ullah Fallahi. Kiani underscored that this rescue mission not only seeks to ensure a dignified burial for Hassan but also showcases the unparalleled skills and commitment of Pakistani high-altitude workers.
