Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig has successfully skied to the last degree of the South Pole, adding another historic achievement to her adventure milestones.
He was part of an international expedition organized by Elite Exped. The team left Pakistan on December 2, reached Union Glacier on December 6, and Baig completed the journey on December 14.
In a post on her Facebook page, Baig said she was deeply grateful and honored to have successfully skied to the final degree of the South Pole, describing it as part of her quest for the Explorer Grand Slam.
He said no Pakistani had ever taken the ski trip before and called it one of the most challenging and meaningful experiences of his life, adding that it was still difficult to put the experience into words.
“From summiting Mount Everest in 2013 to completing the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each continent, from climbing K2 and Nanga Parbat to now reaching the South Pole, this journey has taken me through the highest mountains and most remote places on Earth,” Baig added.
“Every step of the way has taught me patience, resilience and the power of faith.”
He further wrote that the journey, although difficult, “has been about trusting in the dream, staying committed despite the uncertainty, and continuing to move forward even when the path seems impossible.”
The climber expressed hope that her efforts remind others, particularly women, that dreams are worth pursuing, no matter how long they take.
“Carrying the flag of Pakistan and my Ismaili flag across mountains, continents and polar ice has been the greatest honor of my life. I remain grateful for every opportunity, every lesson and every person who walked this path with me,” she said.
Baig expressed his gratitude to his community members for funding the expedition and thanked his team, his family, fellow mountaineer Nirmal Purja and Elite Expeditions for their support.
“Without your trust, encouragement and kindness, this journey would not have been possible.”
Namira Salim is Pakistan’s first astronaut and also the first Pakistani to reach the North and South Poles. I bought the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in 2011 for its adventures.
Samina Baig is from this small village called Shimshal. In 2013, she became the first Pakistani woman to climb Everest. She is also the first Pakistani to reach the Seven Summits: Everest, Kilimanjaro, McKinley, Mont Blanc, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Vinson, Puncak Jaya, all of them.
In 2010 he climbed this peak that no one had climbed before, Chashkin Sar, now called Samina Peak. The next year, he made another intact peak, called Koh-i-Brobar or Mount Equality.
In 2023, she and Naila Kiani became the first Pakistani women to reach the summit of Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain in the world. And in 2022 he also conquered K2, arriving just a few hours before Kiani.
