The Great Mountaineer Hassan Sadpara
Mountaineer Hassan Sadpara was the only Pakistani to climb six 8000 m of the world’s highest mountains, K2 8611m, Nanga Parbat 8126m, Broad Peak 8051m, Gasherbrum 1 8080m, Gasherbrum II 8034m and Mount Everest 8848 m.
Hassan Sadpara also climbed 5 mountains of eight-thousanders without using oxygen. He is the only Pakistani mountaineer to have climbed Mount Everest without Oxygen being used. He has been awarded for his achievement by the Pakistani government.
In 2007 Mountaineer Hassan Sadpara became the second Pakistani to scale all five eight-thousanders (K2, NP, GI, BP, GII) situated in Pakistani territory; the first to do so was Rajab Shah. Hassan is also the second Pakistani to have an Everest Summit.
He also has the distinction of being a Pakistani who made it to the top of six separate 8000er mountains (not to be confused with the regular ascent of any peak, as Nisar Hussain has peaked five eight thousand, ten times).
In 2008, Hassan Sadpara was honored by the Government of Pakistan with President’s Pride of Performance.
Hassan Sadpara had never had a chance to go to the formal education school. Hassan, deeply inspired by his father, began his mountaineering career at age 33 in 1996.
The Koreans’ expedition to Broad Peak in 1996 was his first ‘big’ altitude climbing task. While Hassan climbed to the Rocky Foresummit (8031 m), none of the team members could reach the main Summit.
In 1998 he was on Gasherbrum II and worked for Italian and French teams but was unable to make it to the summit. Impressed by resilient Hassan Sadpara’s brave rescue efforts at Gasherbrum II, he was hired by Germans for next year’s expedition to Nanga Parbat.
His strength and endurance shined. He went on to become the first person to stand at that year’s Nanga Parbat summit after four days of eating practically nothing. It was Hassan’s first ascent of the 8000er.
In 2004 Hassan climbed K-2 as part of the expedition celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the first ascent of K2. He was a high-altitude porter, whose summit day (or night) began at 10 pm, fixing ropes above 8000 m, and finally reaching the summit at about 6 a.m., without supplementary oxygen.
In 2006, he scaled the GI and G-II pairs within five days (July 22 and 27). Earlier in the year, he and his younger brother summited wide peaking to become the second Pakistani and First Balti to the 5x8000er summit in Pakistan.
During the final stages of the climb, he encountered strong winds and deep snow, requiring him to use supplemental oxygen but turning back was not a choice.
The great mountaineer Hassan Sadpara is well known for having been part of many hard-core mountaineering expeditions, as well as Polish Nanga Parbat 2006/07. He strongly believes that if financially backed he can make it to 14x8000ers. Keeping in mind his previous record, his assertion certainly seems realistic.
Hassan’s brother, Muhammad Sadiq is also an altitude porter under his belt, with many 8000er summits. Hassan Sadpara is a Muslim who prays five times a day and has never tasted alcohol. For his brilliance, he doesn’t want any awards and medals but a hospital in his village.
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