Samina Khayal Baig

Eighteen-year old Samina Khayal Baig recently pioneered a first ascent of Chashkin Sar (6,400m) in Shimshal, a remote valley in Pakistan's Hunza region. A trailblazer for Pakistani female climbers, Samina talks with ExWeb's Amanda Padoan about how she got started and why K2 is her ultimate goal.ExWeb: Of all the unclimbed peaks in the region, why did you choose Chashkin Sar?Samina: Chashkin Sar has been my favorite peak since childhood.

Pakistan is home to five of the world's 8,000-meter peaks (there are 14 in all) and looms large in climbing history. Despite this, no Pakistani woman has ever ascended a major peak in her home country. Cultural beliefs and economic realities mean that for Pakistani girls, mountain climbing has been reserved for boys—until now. In August, Samina "Khayal" Baig, an 18-year-old Pakistani girl, ascended a previously unclimbed 6,400-meter mountain in the Hunza-Glingit region of Pakistan. Samina was accompanied by a team that included her brother, Mirza Ali, and a Romanian documentary filmmaker, Stelian Pavalache. A documentary about the ascent is forthcoming.

amina's expedition was a project of Pakistan Youth Outreach, which promotes mountaineering and women adventurers. A major goal of the group is to have a Pakistani woman climb Mt. Everest. Two other organizations that do great work in Pakistan are the Central Asia Institute, which educates children (especially girls) in impoverished areas; and Mercy Corps, which is on the ground now in Pakistan helping with flood relief efforts.

Karakoram spires are setting the scene for young guns to show their true colors. In this case, news is even better as it is a local female rising star which has bagged her first ascent. At only 18, Samina Khayal (Officially Samina Baig) summited the previously unclimbed Chashkin Sar (6,400m) in Shimshal, in the Hunza-Giligit region.

Along her Brother Mirza Ali (Leader), Stelian Pavalache ( Film Maker and Photographer – Romania ), Tafat Shah, Yahya Baig, Salamat Khan and Arshad Karim.
Samina Khayal is dweller of Shimshal village, land of peerless mountaineers and well known HP's.


The project concept was made by Mirza Ali, founding President of Pakistan Youth Outreach, a youth mountaineering education, awareness and women adventure promotion program.
The project main objective was to make a documentary to promote women adventure in Pakistan, for that reason, Pakistan Youth Outreach and Satwa Guna Illusion of Forms Project (Stelian Pavalache), made a joint venture, to make the documentary about Shimshali people and first Pakistani girl to climb a 6400m, unclimbed peak in the shimshal karakorum.The peak has been renamed Samina Peak.