Saad Munawar becomes first Pakistani to summit Mt Everest from northern side

Mountaineer Saad Munawar on Saturday became the first Pakistani to successfully summit Mount Everest (8,848.86 metres) from the mountain’s northern face, which begins in Tibet.

The achievement was confirmed through Munawar’s official Facebook account, which stated that he had raised the Pakistani flag at the summit. “This is the first time that a Pakistani has summited Mt Everest from the north side,” the post noted, adding that he had safely descended to Camp 3 and would continue toward base camp over the coming days.

The northern route, less frequented than the traditional southern path from Nepal, bypasses the hazardous Khumbu Icefall. According to mountaineering platform Explorersweb, Chinese authorities resumed issuing permits for this route only in January 2024.

Munawar was part of the Imagine Nepal expedition team. Its owner, Mingma G, confirmed that nine climbers, including Munawar and several foreigners, successfully reached the summit on Saturday.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan commended Munawar’s achievement, calling it a historic milestone for Pakistani mountaineering. “We are immensely proud to share that Saad Bin Munawar has made history,” a statement read, describing him as a mountaineer, adventurer, and author who continues to inspire future climbers.

Prior to Everest, Munawar had summited other major peaks including Aconcagua, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, and Lobuche Peak.

The Imagine Nepal team also acknowledged the accomplishments of other climbers, including Dr. Simone Molter from Germany, Angela Yeung from South Africa, and Chhiri Aangjum Sherpa from Nepal, who reached the summit for diverse causes and personal milestones.

This ascent follows recent achievements by Pakistani climbers Sajid Ali Sadpara, who summited Dhaulagiri without supplemental oxygen or porter support, and Sirbaz Khan, who climbed Mt Kangchenjunga without oxygen earlier in May.