ACE MOUNTAINEER'S ACT : SAJID SADPARA'S HONOURS

NINE SUMMITS - five to go. Sajid Ali Saadpara's quest to fulfil his late father's dream and elevate Pakistan's name in the mountaineering world continues.

With his ascent of the 8,167m Dhaulagiri in Nepal last Saturday, and remarkably without supplemental oxygen or porter support, Sajid -who aims to summit all of the world's 14 peaks above 8,000 mmeters, has well and truly established himself as one of the best mountaineers anywhere.

His father Mohammed Ali Sadpara, who died in an attempt to summit K2 in 2021, was a similarly accomplished climber although most of his feats were not recognised as he was part of expeditions as a high-altitude porter.

Only after his death did he get the recognition he deserved. Thankfully, Sajid's accomplishments are being celebrated.

Climbing solo and without supplemental oxygen is one of the toughest challenges; Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh highest peak, is known for its steep snow slopes.

Not only did Sajid battle the elements and rarefied oxygen at those high altitudes, he also carried the necessary equipment himself.

The World Students Society thanks Dawn Newspaper.