ISLAMABAD: This week, a team of Pakistani climbers led by Naila Kiani recovered the body of Pakistani porter Hassan Shigri from the K2 bottleneck, a year after his tragic death garnered international attention, a leading Pakistani mountaineering club announced on Saturday.
On July 27, 2023, disturbing drone footage went viral, showing Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her Nepali guide Tenjin Sherpa walking past an injured Hassan Shigri on K2, the world’s second-highest peak, without stopping to help him. Harila and her guide were aiming to become the world’s fastest climbers by scaling all 14 highest peaks above 8,000 meters in 92 days.
The footage, taken by Austrian climber Wilhelm Steindl and German climber Philip Flaemig, whose ascent had been canceled that day due to bad weather, showed the climbers stepping over Shigri’s body, who later died during Harila’s ascent. Harila later denied deliberately ignoring Shigri, claiming she and her team did everything they could for him at the time.
Kiani, a UAE-based Pakistani climber, led a mission to recover Shigri’s body, responding to an emotional appeal from his family. With the help of a team of high-altitude climbers, Kiani organized and executed the recovery mission.
“A historic milestone has been achieved. A team of dedicated high-altitude porters (HAPs) successfully retrieved the body of Muhammad Hassan Shigri from the Bottleneck of K2 at an incredible 8,200 meters, safely reaching advance base camp,” the Alpine Club of Pakistan said in a statement. “This unprecedented rescue, the first of its kind on K2 from such a high altitude, concluded on July 31 at approximately 6:30 pm.”
Kiani utilized her ongoing clean-up project at K2 to organize the humanitarian mission swiftly, using existing infrastructure and favorable weather conditions. Kiani is the first Pakistani woman and the third Pakistani overall to climb 11 of the world’s 14 highest peaks above 8,000 meters. She is part of the Climb2Change initiative by Mashreq, which aims to clean up 14 of the world’s mightiest mountains.
The team members who retrieved Shigri’s body included Dilawar Sadpara, Akbar Hussein Sadpara, Zakir Hussein Sadpara, Mohammed Murad Sadpara, and Ali Mohammed Sadpara. Shigri’s tragic death underscored the urgent need for better training, equipment, and ethical standards in mountaineering. The mission aimed to provide a dignified burial for Shigri and showcased the exceptional skills and dedication of Pakistani high-altitude climbers, highlighting the need for improved mountaineering education and safety protocols.
After being brought to the advance base camp on July 31, Shigri’s body was airlifted by a Pakistan Army helicopter to Dassu, near his village of Tissar in the Shigar district of Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, and handed over to his family on Thursday.
“I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Naila Kiani and her incredible team of mountaineers. Their bravery, dedication, and humanitarian spirit in the face of extreme challenges embody the true essence of mountaineering,” Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said in a statement. “This historic rescue mission on the 70th anniversary of K2’s first ascent not only honors the memory of Muhammad Hassan Shigri but also sets a new standard for ethical and responsible climbing. We are immensely proud of their achievements and commitment to improving mountaineering standards in Pakistan.”
K2 was first summited on July 31, 1954, by Italian climbers Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni. The expedition was led by Ardito Desio and included Pakistani army colonel Muhammad Ataullah, Hunza porter Amir Mehdi, and prominent climber Walter Bonatti.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s tallest mountains above 8,000 meters, including K2 and Nanga Parbat, known for their treacherous climbs. According to official figures, over 8,900 foreigners visited the remote Gilgit-Baltistan region in 2023, where the summer climbing season runs from early June until late August.
