27 climbers achieve rare K2 summit in August

GILGIT: In a rare feat, as many as 27 climbers from various teams, including Sohail Sakhi from Aliabad, Hunza, successfully summited K2 (8,611 metres), the second-highest mountain on Earth, in August, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) and expedition organisers confirmed on Monday.

 “Today, 11 August 2025, is the big day for the climbers on K2. Our [rope] fixing team, Siddhi Bahadur Tamang from Madison K2 Expedition and Chhiring Sherpa from Alpinist K2 Expedition, stood on the top of K2,” said Mashabrum Expeditions Treks & Tours in a statement.

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The expedition organizer said that this was the seventh summit of Siddhi on K2 — “a big achievement for him.”

The Nepalese expedition organiser Imagine Nepal said that the 2025 K2 climbing season has tested the patience of mountaineers, with persistent jet streams and scarce weather windows keeping most expeditions grounded.

“Yet, in a remarkable display of perseverance and teamwork, 15 climbers from the Imagine Nepal K2 Expedition successfully reached the summit of the world’s second-highest mountain at 15:32 PM Pakistan time on August 11, 2025. Summiting K2 in August is a rare feat,” Imagine Nepal said in a statement.

It added that the last recorded August ascent was achieved by legendary Austrian mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner on August 23, 2011.

The summiteers included Sohail Sakhi from Aliabad, Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan; Mingma G, Pema Chhiri Sherpa, Aangdu Sherpa, Kami Sherpa, Lakpa Sherpa, Lakpa Tamang, and Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa from Nepal; Liu Mihe, Dilixiati Ailikuti, Li Jiang, Guan Jing, and Hu Yinghong from China; Maria Alexandra Danila from Romania; and Jangbu Sherpa from the USA.

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The statement said that this was the sixth successful summit of Mount K2 for Mingma G, and that Maria Alexandra Danila became the only Romanian to reach the summit of the world’s second-highest peak. It also said that Dilixiati Ailikuti set the record as the youngest person to climb Mount K2, and that Jangbu Sherpa and Sohail Sakhi climbed without the use of supplementary oxygen.

“We’re beyond happy to share some amazing news – our joint team from Seven Summit Treks and 14 Peaks Expedition made it to the top of K2 this morning, 11 August 2025,” Nepalese tour operator Seven Summit Treks (SST) said in a statement.

The SST identified the summiteers as Tao Hu, Li Na, and Zhang Qingliang from China; Eduard Kubatov from the Kyrgyz Republic; Szymon Pawel Jaskula from Poland; and Pasang Tenje Sherpa, Mingma Jangbu Sherpa, Pasang Sherpa, Sona Sherpa, and Pasang Nurbu Sherpa from Nepal.

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“We’re so grateful to Imagine Nepal and all the rope-fixing team for their hard work and support – without them, this wouldn’t have been possible. K2 is one of the most difficult and unforgiving mountains in the world, and this climb is a determination of everyone involved. Today, we’re proud to be part of K2’s history,” reads the statement.

ACP Vice President Karrar Haidri, on behalf of ACP President Maj-Gen Irfan Arshad, congratulated all climbers and wished them a safe descent.

“11 August 2025 will be remembered as a remarkable day in K2 history. Three strong teams stood on the summit of the world’s second-highest peak and the highest point on Earth equipped with sensors, marking yet another chapter of human endurance and teamwork,” Haidri said in a statement.