Pakistani mountaineer Shehroze Kashif faces sub-zero temperatures and biting winds in his race to scale the world’s highest peaks, however his greatest problem is discovering the cash.
Kashif, 21, goals this 12 months to grow to be the youngest individual to climb each peak above 8,000 metres (26,247 toes), all of that are in Asia, with 5 in Pakistan.
Summiting Everest set him again round $60,000, and climbing all 14 “tremendous peaks” can price lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} –- funds which are particularly tough to boost in a rustic gripped by an financial disaster.
“My father bought my automotive and a chunk of land… that is how I did Everest,” Kashif informed AFP from his dwelling in Lahore, the sub-tropical, low-altitude metropolis the place he was born.
Solely round 50 individuals are believed to have climbed all 14 tremendous peaks, the youngest being Mingma Gyabu “David” Sherpa of Nepal, who summited all of them by age 30.
Learn extra: Climber Shehroze Kashif units new document
To interrupt this document, Kashif nonetheless has three mountains to beat: China’s Shishapangma, and Cho Oyu and Manaslu in Nepal, having to re-climb the latter after a brand new, greater summit was formally recognised in 2021.
Scorching on Kashif’s heels is Adriana Brownlee, a 22-year-old British-Spanish mountaineer who can be racing to be the youngest to scale all of the eight-thousanders.
Kashif describes Brownlee — the youngest girl to climb the world’s second-highest peak, K2 — as “sharing the identical stage”.
However in contrast to Brownlee, who has climbed 10 eight-thousanders, Kashif doesn’t have worldwide sponsorship and stated he even struggles to get backers in Pakistan.
Brownlee will even must re-summit Manaslu, in what can be her third try to scale the height since first climbing it.
“I believe she’s ready for me (to do it) really,” Kashif stated with fun.
Racking up data
Kashif first turned concerned about climbing aged 11, when most Pakistani boys his age are increase their cricket abilities.
As a substitute, he climbed the three,885-metre Himalayan peak Makra in northern Pakistan.
He has racked up a string of data since then, with scarcely sufficient area in his Twitter bio to record all of them.
Kashif is the youngest individual to climb K2 and the youngest to climb each of the world’s two highest mountains.
He’s additionally the youngest to climb Pakistan’s Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain and his first eight-thousander –- a feat that earned him the moniker “Broad Boy”.
“It isn’t about solely climbing the mountains. It is in regards to the vitality that you simply soak up from the mountains,” Kashif stated.
“Each mountain has its personal attraction. Its personal aura of… hazard and journey and happiness.”
Skirting dying
With memorial plaques dotting the hills of the eight-thousanders, Kashif is conscious of his pursuit’s dangers.
“These guys had been right here with the identical potential, identical ardour, identical enthusiasm, identical willpower and identical tolerance (as me),” he stated.
Kashif’s most harmful climb was up the world’s ninth-highest peak, Nanga Parbat, in July 2022.
He and his climbing associate Fazal Ali received misplaced in unhealthy climate after summiting, and shortly ran out of oxygen, meals and water.
“I began hallucinating,” Kashif stated. “My head was working (however the) remainder of my physique was simply completely numb.”
When Kashif woke from a relaxation, he was stunned to be alive, and decided to outlive. After six hours of trekking, the pair made it to one of many mountain’s base camps.
“The factor that I used to be most afraid of (is) that I do not wish to die with out figuring out what my physique is able to.”