Maria Conceicao has made history as the first Portuguese woman to reach the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, located in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. The remote area, known for its towering peaks, attracts numerous tourists each year for climbing and other adventures. K2, or the “Savage Mountain,” is Pakistan’s highest peak and has claimed many lives due to its challenging conditions.

Conceicao, aged 47, was part of a nine-member expedition sponsored by Mashreq Bank as part of its Climb2Change initiative. Summit Karakorum, a Pakistani tour company, congratulated the team on their successful ascent. Conceicao’s husband, Saul Keen, expressed pride in her achievement, highlighting her drive and inspirational nature.

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Maria Conceicao, also a Mashreq brand ambassador, contributed to the bank’s mountain clean-up mission for K2 and Broad Peak. Naila Kiani, a renowned Pakistani climber and fellow Mashreq ambassador, praised Conceicao’s accomplishment. This year, many climbers have sought to conquer K2, with over 135 climbers, including Pakistanis and Nepalis, attempting the peak. Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, home to five of the world’s tallest mountains, welcomed over 8,900 foreign visitors in 2023.

Climb2Change Initiative

Through its Climb2Change initiative, Mashreq aims to clean 14 of the world’s highest mountains, targeting seven peaks and the base camps of the other seven.

In Pakistan, the expedition, running from June to August, includes notable climbers Conceicao and Kiani, who is the first Pakistani woman and the third Pakistani overall to summit 11 of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters.

Kiani, who leads the initiative in Pakistan, informed Arab News that, with support from CKNP (Central Karakorum National Park), their team has collected 1,400 to 1,500 kilograms of waste from K2’s camp I and camp II. They also plan to move towards camp III and recover the body of Hassan Shigri, who passed away on K2 last year.