Gilgit-Baltistan has produced nearly all of Pakistan's famous mountaineers, and most of them come from a handful of villages that also happen to be places travellers pass through: Aliabad in Hunza, Sadpara near Skardu, Shimshal in upper Hunza, and Hushe in Ghanche. Their stories explain why these villages carry the weight they do in local pride, and why porters from Baltistan and Hunza are so central to every expedition on the Baltoro.
This guide introduces the mountaineers most worth knowing before a Gilgit-Baltistan trip, and where their home villages sit.
Ashraf Aman: the first Pakistani on K2
Ashraf Aman, from Aliabad in Hunza, became the first Pakistani to summit K2 in 1977, as part of a joint Pakistan-Japan expedition. He trained as an engineer before turning to climbing, and his ascent came at a time when Pakistani mountaineers were still mostly working as porters and support staff on foreign-led expeditions rather than leading their own summit attempts.
Nazir Sabir: the first Pakistani on Everest
Nazir Sabir, from Raminj in Hunza, was the first Pakistani to summit Everest, on 17 May 2000. He had already climbed K2's west ridge in 1981 and gone on to summit Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II. He has served as president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan since 2004, the first civilian and climber to hold the post, and remains active in mountain conservation work in the north.
Muhammad Ali Sadpara: from porter to five-time 8,000er summiteer
Muhammad Ali Sadpara was born in Sadpara village, just outside Skardu, a settlement whose men have worked as high-altitude porters on the Baltoro for generations. He climbed five of the world's fourteen 8,000-metre peaks and made the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat, in February 2016, with Alex Txikon and Simone Moro. He died on K2 in February 2021, attempting a winter ascent of the mountain with his son Sajid and two international climbers; Sajid turned back before the final push and survived.
Samina Baig: the first Pakistani woman on Everest
Samina Baig, from Shimshal in Hunza's Gojal valley, became the first Pakistani woman to summit Everest, in 2013, and went on to complete the Seven Summits, the highest peak on every continent. Shimshal, a remote high-altitude village reached by a long side road off the Karakoram Highway, has a strong local mountaineering tradition, and Samina's brother Mirza Ali is also a working mountain guide from the same village.
Sirbaz Khan: the first Pakistani to climb all fourteen 8,000ers
Sirbaz Khan, also from Aliabad in Hunza, became the first Pakistani to summit all fourteen of the world's 8,000-metre peaks, finishing with Shishapangma on 3 October 2024. In May 2025 he became the first Pakistani to complete the full set without supplementary oxygen. His climbs included K2 twice, Everest twice (the second time without oxygen), and the first autumn ascent of Nanga Parbat in 2017.
Little Karim: porter turned Gasherbrum II summiteer
Mohammad Karim, known as Little Karim, was born in the Hushe valley in Ghanche district and worked for decades as a high-altitude porter before climbing Gasherbrum II himself without supplementary oxygen. He became one of the most respected figures among Baltistan's porter community, a reminder that many of the men supporting foreign expeditions on the Baltoro have serious climbing ability of their own. He died in 2022.
Why this matters for a trip north
If you trek to K2 base camp, cross the Gondogoro La, or hire a guide in Hunza or Shigar, there is a fair chance the people working with you come from the same villages, and sometimes the same families, as the climbers above. Porters from Sadpara, Hushe and Askole carry the loads that make every Baltoro trek possible, and the region's guiding culture grew directly out of that work. Our 8,000-metre peaks of Pakistan guide and K2 base camp trek guide cover the mountains these climbers made their names on.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the first Pakistani to climb K2?
Ashraf Aman, from Aliabad in Hunza, in 1977, as part of a joint Pakistan-Japan expedition.
Who was the first Pakistani to climb Mount Everest?
Nazir Sabir, from Raminj in Hunza, on 17 May 2000.
Who was the first Pakistani woman to climb Everest?
Samina Baig, from Shimshal in Hunza's Gojal valley, in 2013. She went on to complete the Seven Summits.
Who is the first Pakistani to climb all fourteen 8,000-metre peaks?
Sirbaz Khan, from Aliabad in Hunza, who finished the set on Shishapangma on 3 October 2024, and later climbed all fourteen without supplementary oxygen.
What happened to Muhammad Ali Sadpara?
He died on K2 in February 2021 while attempting a winter ascent with his son Sajid and two other climbers. He had already climbed five 8,000-metre peaks and made the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat in 2016.
Are these climbers' home villages open to visitors?
Yes. Aliabad and Shimshal are both reachable from the Karakoram Highway in Hunza, and Sadpara and Hushe are day trips from Skardu; none needs a special permit beyond the usual documents for Gilgit-Baltistan. See our travel planning guide for how to fit them into an itinerary.
