Pakistani climber Sirbaz Khan has become the first from the country to scale all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen, completing the challenge on Sunday with his ascent of Kangchenjunga.
Khan reached the summit of the 8,586-metre mountain at 11:50am local time, finalising a journey that began in 2017. Though he had previously summited all 14 peaks, two of those climbs were supported by bottled oxygen, prompting him to return this year to complete those without assistance.
He re-climbed Annapurna in April and Kangchenjunga in May, both without supplemental oxygen, to achieve the milestone he originally set for himself. Only around 70 climbers globally have conquered all 14 peaks, and fewer than 25 have done so without using oxygen.
Khan began his mountaineering journey with a successful ascent of Nanga Parbat in 2017. He later climbed K2 in 2018 and Lhotse in 2019, becoming the first Pakistani to reach its 8,516-metre summit.
That same year, he summited Broad Peak without oxygen and added Manaslu in Nepal to his list. In 2021, he climbed Annapurna and Mount Everest and led a Pakistani team to the summit of Gasherbrum II.
He went on to become the first Pakistani to summit Dhaulagiri, Kangchenjunga, Makalu, and Cho Oyu, before adding Gasherbrum I and Shishapangma to his record. By October 2024, he had completed all 14 climbs, but two had been with oxygen.
By returning to Annapurna and Kangchenjunga and climbing them again without oxygen, Sirbaz Khan has now officially entered the ranks of those who have completed the 14-peak challenge without any artificial support.
