Mountaineer Samina Baig, in another first, became the first Pakistani to ski to the South Pole, according to her brother.
Mahboob Ali told Dawn that she was part of an international expedition organised by Elite Exped, which departed from Pakistan on December 2. It reached Union Glacier on December 6 and she completed her journey on December 14.
In a post on her Facebook page, Baig said she was “deeply grateful and humbled” to have successfully skied to the last degree of the South Pole, part of her pursuit of the Explorer’s Grand Slam.
“This ski journey has never been accomplished by any Pakistani in the past. It has been one of the most challenging and meaningful experiences of my life, and it is still difficult to put into words,” she wrote.
“From standing on the summit of Mount Everest in 2013 to completing the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each continent, from climbing K2 and Nanga Parbat to now reaching the South Pole, this journey has taken me across the highest mountains and the most remote places on Earth,” Baig added.
“Every step along the way has taught me patience, resilience, and the power of belief.”
She further wrote that the journey, though difficult, “has been about trusting the dream, staying committed through uncertainty, and continuing to move forward even when the path feels impossible”.
The mountaineer expressed hope that her efforts would remind others, particularly women, that dreams are worth pursuing, regardless of how long they take.
“Carrying the flag of Pakistan and my Ismaili flag across mountains, continents, and polar ice has been the greatest honour of my life. I remain grateful for every opportunity, every lesson, and every person who walked this path with me,” she said.
Baig expressed gratitude to her community members for funding the expedition and thanked her team, her family, fellow mountaineer Nirmal Purja and Elite Expeditions for their support.
“Without their trust, encouragement, and kindness, this journey would not have been possible.”
Baig, who hails from the remote village of Shimshal, became the first Pakistani woman to scale Mount Everest in 2013. She also holds the unique record of being the first Pakistani to climb the Seven Summits — Everest, Kilimanjaro, McKinley, Mont Blanc, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Vinson and Puncak Jaya.
In 2010, she became the first to ascend the virgin peak Chashkin Sar (above 6,000m), now called the ‘Samina Peak’. She conquered another virgin peak in 2011, which was named ‘Koh-i-Brobar’ or ‘Mount Equality’.
In 2023, she and fellow mountaineer Naila Kiani became the first Pakistani women to summit the 8,125-metre-tall mountain Nanga Parbat — the world’s ninth-highest peak.
In 2022, she summited K2 along with her team, just three hours before Kiani reached the peak.
