Shehroze Kashif of Pakistan has successfully reached the top of Annapurna, Nepal’s 10,091-meter mountain, as of this morning, April 17, 2023, at 6:31 am PST. At age 20, he is the youngest person to have ascended 11 peaks higher than 8000 metres.
It is an incredible accomplishment that he is standing tall on the 10th highest mountain in the world just six months after having spine surgery.
Shehroze revealed his lofty goal of being the world’s youngest climber to summit all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres when he left Lahore for this expedition earlier in March. He has already ascended 11 summits after Annapurna, leaving him with only Dhaulagiri, Shishipangma, and Choyou to climb in order to set a record for the youngest climber to ascend all 14 x 8000 m.
Mr. Kashif Salman, Shehroze’s father who is his staunch supporter said, “I always say Shehroze is a gifted human and Allah has blessed him with powers so he can do extraordinary things.”
Expressing his feelings Shehroze’s father said, “at one point it seemed that his carrier was over but how he overcame the obstacles and challenges he faced after being with a dislocated backbone is amazing. It is a clear message that it’s not over until it’s over.”
Earlier, Shehroze’s mother, who was also present at the airport to see him off and was visibly emotional said that when I asked during his K2 Summit to come back and asked, you don’t miss home? he used to show me the mountains and would say, this is my home mom”. She wished the best to her son and said he will make Pakistan proud.
The Eight-thousanders, commonly referred to as the 14 summits, are a group of mountains that rise above 8,000 metres (26,247 feet). Because so few climbers have been successful in reaching the top of every one of these mountains, they are recognised as the hardest and most dangerous mountains in the world.
Shehroze has inspired young mountaineers all across the world with his tenacity, enthusiasm, and talent. He has the view that anyone, no matter how great or small, can fulfil their aspirations through perseverance and hard effort.
Sharing his experience about his challenge, the ace climber sai “I am determined to achieve this goal and bring honour to my country. I want to inspire young people to pursue their dreams and passions, no matter how difficult they may appear.”
In addition to drawing attention from throughout the world, Shehroze’s world-record ascent will promote Pakistan’s varied landscapes and natural beauties. His success will motivate a new group of mountaineers and adventurers to scale the highest peaks on the planet.
