Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Khan has made history by becoming the first from his country to climb all 14 of the world’s highest mountains—each towering above 8,000 metres—without using supplemental oxygen.
The final milestone came on Sunday when Sirbaz reached the summit of Kangchenjunga (8,586 metres) at 11:50 a.m. local time. A native of Hunza Valley, Sirbaz began his journey in 2017 with the ascent of Nanga Parbat.
While he had previously completed all 14 peaks, he had used bottled oxygen on two of them. Determined to achieve his original goal without any oxygen aid, he re-attempted Annapurna in April 2024 and Kangchenjunga in May 2025, successfully completing both climbs without supplemental oxygen.
“When I started this journey after summiting Nanga Parbat, my goal was clear: all 14×8000m peaks without supplemental oxygen,” he had said earlier during his Annapurna climb.
Globally, fewer than 25 climbers have achieved this feat without oxygen, placing Sirbaz in one of the most elite circles in mountaineering history.
Sirbaz has consistently broken ground for Pakistani climbers. He became the first Pakistani to scale Lhotse in 2019, followed by Annapurna and Dhaulagiri in 2021, and Makalu in 2022—all without bottled oxygen. In 2023, he summited Cho Oyu, and in October 2024, he completed Shishapangma—his 14th and final peak.
He also led all-Pakistani expeditions to Gasherbrum I and II, helping elevate Pakistan's profile in high-altitude mountaineering.
By re-climbing the two previously oxygen-assisted peaks, Sirbaz Khan has not only met his personal goal but also set a new national benchmark in mountaineering excellence.