Adventure story of the First Pakistani on Mount Everest

Nazir Sabir the Proud Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan

The story of proud of Pakistan is an amazing and heart touching I have little information about it and want highlight them as much I know in the future will provide all the exciting stories of the adventurous climbers of Gilgit-Baltistan who hoisted the flag of Pakistan on the different high mountains in the world putting their lives into the high risk that are admirable and write the names of the heroes in Golden words in mountaineering history of Pakistan.

The inspiring stories of our heroes will lead the new generation of the country to attract towards this interesting sport to adopt and enjoy the adventurous experience in life.

Sabir began his Himalayan climbing career with a Japanese expedition to the 7284m Passu Peak in Hunza in 1974. In 1975 he was part of a German Expedition as a trainee that attempted Nanga Parbat (8125m) and only went to 6700m up the south west ridge. On 17 July 1976 he made the first ascent of 6660m virgin Paiyu followed by Colonel Manzoor Hussain and Major Bashir with the first Pakistani expedition organised by the Alpine gelato in 1276 of Pakistan.

In 1977 Sabir joined the largest Japan/Pakistan joint expedition to K2, attempting the traditional South East Abruzzi Ridge. It was a huge expedition, using bottled oxygen; this team had an army of 1500 porters and 52 members. However Sabir's first assault team including four Japanese had to turn back due to snow storms from 8280m. Another attempt with the same team had to be abandoned again from 8150m when they had to come down searching for two missing colleagues who were found alive below Camp 4 the next day. However they put seven members of the team on the summit making the second ascent of K3. Till then only two mountaineers of the 1954 successful Italian expedition had stepped on the K2 Summit.

Sabir was invited to climb K2 in 1981 by his friends by the Waseda University Expedition attempting the West and South West ridges rather than the usual Abruzzi ridge. The Duke of Abruzzi had, in 1909, surveyed K2 from all its sides. He felt that K2 could only be assailed from the South East Ridge, which was to be named Abruzzi Ridge. In 1978 the famous British climber Chris Bonington made his first attempt on this new route up the West Ridge. Nick Estcourt, a member of this team, was swept to his death by a slab avalanche on the way to Camp 2 while Doug Scott barely survived. It involves a difficult grade on a mixed ground of snow and rock at higher elevations. Scott, who was a member of the 1978 expedition, led another team strong teams of five top British climbers but they gave up at 7300m due to bad weather.

Sabir, followed by Eiho Otani, reached the summit of K2 on 7 August 1981. Sabir and his team from the Waseda University created history by successfully climbing K2's West/South West Ridge for the first time. A documentary film of the climb, 50 Day Struggle was shown all over Japan, made Sabir a household name there.^[6]

In 1982, Sabir along with Sher Khan and the famous Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner climbed Gasherbrum II 8035m and Broad Peak 8047m. Both Gasherbrum II and Broad Peak were done in alpine style in a period of just one week, the fastest ascent of two 8000m peaks at the time.

Here is the brief story of our Hidden Peak (8068m) Expedition 1992:

An interesting story of the proud of Pakistan the Gilgit-Baltistan the man “pride of Performance” Mr. Nazir Sabir the first Pakistani on Mount Everest the highest mountain in the World to celebrate the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Pakistan in 1997. He along with his other Pakistani renowned climbers struggled to reach the top the world to hoist the flag of Pakistan during its Golden Jubilee year make the record of being the first Pakistani, but by that year he returned with unsuccessful, but later in 2000 he made it successfully. We are always proud of his contribution towards promotion of Pakistan being of the “son of soil’’ of Pakistan Gilgit-Baltistan (Hunza).

 Nazir Sabire does not only made this record being first Pakistani on Mount Everest but also made K-2 the second highest and most challenging mountain of the world on new route with another record. He climbed all the five 8000s in Pakistan and many other challenging mountains in the country will see here below.

I am taking a breath on Gondogoro La on our way back after climbing Hidden Peak 1992 in a for more dramatic circumstances and in a different fashion. After failure of the second serious attempt where we were forced to abandon the summit by merely 120m below the summit due to blasting storms nearly lifting us off the face my Japanese colleagues called off the expedition. 

The weather turned superb as we were descending to base camp and as l reached base camp I hot the news our return porters would take six days to reach us and that created an urge to go for another attempt instead of sitting at BC n consume dall n chappatis. I proposed it to my longtime friend and team leader (with whom I had planned this expedition while on a visit in Japan) but he not only refused to go up with me for another attempt but also opposed my plan to go it alone. Luckily l was also acting as the official liaison officer of the team and as per rules l was independent to make my decision but was obliged to give in writing informing the team leader of solo climbing plan the next morning. He came to my tent three times to convince me to abandon the plan but l had made my mind thus was adamant to going alone. Late in evening we had long discussions in the community tent till late and our BC manager Asghar and the entire crew tried their best to persuade me to give up my plan but when they saw my sheer determination they convenienced me to take along a local crew. I agreed and asked for a volunteer and Ibrahim from Hunza took no time to wish to go up together.  

Before I'd leave for the attempt at the dinner our senior crew Rajab Shah and Mehrban came up with a proposal and insisted to go up with me saying that they were seniors and deserved to be given the chance. This was discussed and Ibrahim agreed to this new proposal and three of us left early the next morning. After nine hours of continuous climbing up this very long Wedt Ridge we got to our camp 3 sight at 7450m. We spent the night and my usual summit fever didn't let me sleep all night and we left the tent after some breakfast. The spell of the superb weather continued on this second day also and after 7 hours we were on the summit. We radioed to base camp and funny enough first the Japanese colleagues refused to talk but then the leader came on the radio and he was emotional speaking from BC obviously there were mixed feelings as one could see. We had some of the amazing moments up there with tentalizing views of Siacahen in the east to K2 in the west and perhaps this is the summit from where you could see the major mountains of Baltito region. After 'Hilali percham' ceremony and dozens of pictures we left the summit reaching the tents for a night's sleep and on the third day we descended back to BC making one of the fastest ascent of Gasherbrum1 more known as Hidden Peak to be received by our Pakistani colleagues with huge hugs and warmth while only few Japanese colleagues came to meet us and several of them even stopped communicating since. The best part of the celebration was the much awaited warm Pakistani lunch.

While l was ready for this attempt at first the team even refused to hand me the radio for communication but before leaving that morning I was able to get one. 

This was perhaps the first ever expedition when the Liaison officer and two crew members climbed a summit on a foreign expedition while the visitors had decided not to go for a third attempt........