Dubai-based mum-of-two Naila Kiani shares the highs and lows of being an elite mountaineer

Dubai-based mum-of-two Naila Kiani shares the highs and lows of being an elite mountaineer

Of all international mountaineers who attempted Mount Everest in 2023, she became the first to reach the summit

By Tamreez Inam Published: Thu 8 Jun 2023, 7:41 PM

Of all international mountaineers who attempted Mount Everest in 2023, Dubai-based Naila Kiani became the first to reach the summit. It is an extraordinary achievement in its own right, but even more so for someone who started high-altitude mountaineering only two years ago when she was already 35.

In 2021, when Naila became the first Pakistani woman to climb a peak above 8,000m in Pakistan, she had given birth to her second child just seven months previously. Recounting the story of her summit of Gasherbum-2, Naila reveals the initial disbelief and scepticism she encountered from the mountaineering community. “When I posted my photos from that climb, I didn’t mention my age or that I had children, even then people found it hard to believe that a completely unknown female climber from Pakistan could achieve such a feat.”

So how did she get into mountaineering? “I have always loved the mountains and was quite active and adventurous, being an amateur boxer. My husband also shares my spirit of adventure, so five years ago, we decided to have