Qatari royal and elite mountaineer Sheikha Asma Al Thani has scripted history by becoming the first woman from her nation to climb Nanga Parbat, one of the highest and most challenging peaks in the world. Taking to Instagram, the Qatari announced her achievement, saying that this marks her ninth successful ascent in her ambitious mission to conquer all 14 of the world's "eight-thousanders" - peaks exceeding 8,000 meters. "This mountain tested me in ways I didn't expect, from black ice beneath my feet to rockfall every few seconds. A constant reminder of how fragile life truly is," Sheikha Asma Al Thani wrote.
"But even in that danger, there was growth. There was surrender and there was strength I didn't know I still had. I climb not just to reach summits but to return to what matters, to strip away the noise and reconnect with myself. This mountain will stay with me forever," she added.
At the summit, the Qatari royal raised the Qatari flag. Her success on Nanga Parbat, which is also known as the "Killer Mountain", brings her closer to joining an elite club of climbers who have summited all 14 eight-thousanders, a feat achieved by only a select few worldwide.
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Sheikha Asma's ascent is being widely celebrated. On Tuesday, Pakistan even appointed her as the brand ambassador for the Mountains and Tourism. Talking to X, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the Qatari royal and praised her achievement. "I am pleased to appoint Her Highness Sheikha Asma Al Thani as the Brand Ambassador for Pakistan's Mountains and Tourism," he wrote.
"My heartfelt felicitations to Her Highness on her recent feat of scaling Nanga Parbat. It is truly inspiring! Her achievement sends a powerful message of courage and determination, and stands as a testament to the enduring friendship between Pakistan and Qatar," he added.
Sheikha Asma is the first Qatari woman to summit Mount Everest, Lhotse, Manaslu, and K2, as well as the first Qatari female to climb Ama Dablam. She is reportedly also the first Qatari person to ski to the North Pole.
