Mountaineer Nadia Azad poses with the Pakistan flag on the peak of Mount Manaslu in Nepal on September 26, 2025. — Instagram/@nadiaclimbs
KARACHI: British Pakistani mountaineer Nadia Azad has efficiently summited Mount Manaslu in Nepal, the world’s eighth-highest mountain, changing into solely the second Pakistani girl to climb 4 peaks above 8,000 metres.
Azad, who traces her household roots to Karachi and has Baloch heritage on her father’s aspect, reached the 8,163-metre summit at 5:15am native time on September 26. Manaslu — referred to as the “mountain of the spirit” — is without doubt one of the 14 “8000ers”, the unique group of peaks rising above 8,000 metres, all located within the Himalayas and Karakoram ranges.
For Nadia, the climb marked not simply one other achievement, however a return to excessive altitude after almost two and a half years away. “This summit was more than a return, it was a reminder of why I climb,” she wrote on Instagram. “The mountain doesn’t hand out summits; it demands respect, patience, and humility.”
With Manaslu, Azad provides to a outstanding mountaineering resume. In April 2023, she summited Annapurna I (8,091m), one of many deadliest peaks. Weeks later, she scaled Mount Everest (8,849m) and Lhotse (8,516m) back-to-back, an accomplishment that requires extraordinary effort.
There are solely 14 mountains on Earth above 8,000 metres, all of them in South Asia’s nice ranges. Above this altitude lies what they name a “death zone,”. Azad now joins a small circle of climbers, and a fair smaller variety of girls, who’ve climbed a number of peaks of over 8,000m.
She has additionally accomplished the Seven Summits, climbing the very best mountain on every continent, together with Denali in North America, Aconcagua in South America, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, Vinson in Antarctica, and Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania. She turned the second Pakistani girl to realize this after Samina Baig.
Past the mountains, Nadia can also be a devoted marathoner. She has already accomplished the New York, Berlin, and London marathons and can compete in Chicago subsequent month as she works towards ending all six Abbott World Marathon Majors.
Whether or not standing on Himalayan summits or operating in main marathons, Nadia Azad continues to push boundaries in two of essentially the most demanding endurance sports activities. For her, Manaslu was not only a peak conquered, however a reminder of goal.
“The quiet moments before sunrise, the rhythm of breathing and ice underfoot, the shared silence on the mountain, that’s why I climb,” she mentioned.
