Sirbaz Khan becomes first Pakistani to climb all 14 peaks without oxygen

Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Khan has become the first climber from the country to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen, completing the milestone on Sunday by reaching the summit of Kangchenjunga (8,586m).

A native of Hunza, Khan had previously climbed all 14 peaks but used bottled oxygen on two ascents.

To meet his original goal of completing all without artificial oxygen, he returned to re-climb Annapurna in April and Kangchenjunga in May—this time without oxygen.

Khan began his high-altitude climbing career in 2017 by scaling Nanga Parbat and went on to summit peaks including K2, Everest, Lhotse, and Dhaulagiri.

In October 2024, he completed all 14 eight-thousanders with the summit of Shishapangma.

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His achievement places him among fewer than 25 climbers globally who have summited all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen—a feat considered among the most demanding in mountaineering due to the extreme conditions of the "death zone" above 8,000 metres.

Khan’s accomplishment further cements his status as one of Pakistan’s most accomplished mountaineers.