5 women from GB successfully summit Spantik

Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed an inspiring achievement as a team of four women, accompanied by a Romanian climber and a Punjabi mountaineer, scaled the 7,027-metre high Spantik Peak without relying on high-altitude porters. The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed the successful ascent and safe return of Shama Baqir and Samana Rahim from Shimshal Valley, Zooni Aslam of Gulmit Valley, Gojal, Upper Hunza, and Zaiba Batool Shigri from Shigar district on Monday.

Bismah Hassan of Lahore joined the expedition but had to turn back 250 metres short of the summit due to health concerns. Unbeknownst to the group, climber Dr. Asma Mushtaq and American hiker Sarah Mallory Geis passed away on the descent, with the bodies currently stranded at Camp 3. Weather conditions posed challenges for rescue and recovery efforts, as heavy rain and snowfall forced a six-member team of porters to abandon their mission and retreat to Camp 2.

The Alpine Club's General Secretary, Ayaz Shigri, reported that weather may improve on Tuesday, allowing rescuers to attempt another mission to bring Dr. Mushtaq's body down and airlift it to Skardu. The expedition also included Alexandra Visan of Romania, who battled cancer and successfully summited Spantik, while Ayyan Adeel, a Punjabi climber, became the youngest person to reach the peak without using high-altitude porter support.