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Naila Kiani, a Dubai resident for more than eight years, a professional banker, and a mother of two young girls has recently achieved an overly ambitious milestone by setting two new records in a day. She has become the first Pakistani woman mountaineer to summit Nanga Parbat and the first Pakistani woman to achieve 8000 meters+ peaks.
Naila Kiani bagged this remarkable achievement by successfully summitting Nanga Parbat at 10 am on July 2. As the world’s ninth-highest mountain, Nanga Parbat solidifies her place as a trailblazer in the world of high-altitude climbing.
Naila Kiani’s journey
Naila Kiani, is a Dubai-based Pakistani banker, an amateur boxer, and a mother of two daughters. She first gained popularity on social media after images of her wedding shoot at K2 Basecamp went viral in 2018. Seeking to encourage other female adventurers, she always shares her accomplishments on Instagram and other platforms making them a part of her voyage.
She summited Gasherbrum-II (8,035m) in 2021 and ascended Gasherbrum-I (8,068m), K2, and Annapurna peaks in the past few years. Kiani had also climbed the world’s second-tallest peak K2. Earlier this year, she became the second Pakistani woman to summit the mighty Everest.
Numerous mountaineers and adventure fans all over the world are inspired by Naila Kiani’s unwavering resolve, unmatched abilities, and unwavering attitude. She indeed serves as a bright example of how people can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and climb over them to shine.
Throughout her mountaineering journey, the Dubai-based mum-of-two Naila Kiani has faced numerous challenges both on and off the mountains. The women overcame hazardous terrain, severe weather, and a plethora of challenges during the journey.
Her strong determination, passion for the mountains, unyielding spirit, and adventurous soul have propelled her toward this inspirational feat of accomplishment. In sequence, she has now scaled G2, K2, G1, Annapurna, Everest, Lhotse, and now Nanga Parbat, illustrating the scale of her physical endurance and mental resilience.
About her family and kids
Naila’s husband, Khalid Raja who has always supported her in her endeavors, also shared his immense pride in her accomplishments, stating:
“We are incredibly proud of Naila and all that she has achieved. She has worked tirelessly to accomplish this goal, and we have no doubt that she will continue to hit greater milestones in the future. As her family, we fully support her, recognizing the importance of a strong family structure in accomplishing such remarkable goals.”
July 2, 2023, was a historic day and a proud moment for the Pakistani mountaineering community. On this day, Dubai-based Pakistani mountaineer, Naila Kiani carved her name in the records as the first Pakistani woman to conquer Nanga Parbat.
She summited the majestic mountain at around 10:18 am PST on July 2, according to Karrar Haidri, the general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Kiani was closely followed by renowned climber Samina Baig, who summited Nanga Parbat at 11:08 am PST, just one hour after Naila’s summit.
“This is a significant milestone for female climbers in Pakistan. Naila and Samina have made Pakistanis proud and inspired countless others” to pursue their own dreams of conquering the world’s tallest peaks”, Haidri said.
Naila Kiani’s own words
Kiani, the mother of two girls, gives deep gratitude towards her husband and family for their unwavering support, and understanding, which allows her to pursue her passion for climbing and adventure.
In her own words, “For anyone who loves adventure and exploration, there are always sacrifices to be made. For me, the biggest sacrifice is leaving my family behind and the toughest part is the heartache of saying goodbye to loved ones” before beginning the summit, she earlier said. “But I know they stand behind me because they believe in my dreams.”
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