TANZANIA: Just ten days after the death of Australia based Pakistani Dr Junaid Yousafzai on Mount Kilimanjaro, a Pakistan Army officer, in a first attempt of its kind, successfully summited two of the Africa’s highest Peaks i.e. Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m) and Mount Kenya’s Point Lenana (4985m), located in the East African neighboring countries of Tanzania and Kenya respectively.
According to Local Administration and Kilimanjaro National Park Authorities official Records, Maj Syed Sameer Azhar Gardezi reached the Summit on the morning of February 11, 2017 at 10.00 am local time. Maj Sameer, is currently serving as part of Pakistan’s contingent to United Nations Peace Keeping Forces.
Mount Kilimanjaro located in Tanzania has an altitude of 5,895 meters/19,341 feet above sea level. It is world’s tallest free standing mountain, the smallest of the seven summits and the tallest mountain in all of continental Africa. Kilimanjaro features several topographies including rainforest, moorlands, alpine desert and the snow-capped summit itself.
Maj Sameer climbed through the tough and scenic Machame Route. It took five nights and six days to reach the Uhuru Peak (Freedom Peak) and pitch the Pakistani flag on Kibo, one of the three volcanic cones of Mount Kilimanjaro.
On his Birthday i.e. 12 February, Maj Sameer traveled by road across the Tanzanian – Kenyan Border and reached the equatorial town (0° 01′ North) of Nanyuki, at the base of Mount Kenya almost 200 km from the Capital Nairobi.
The climb for Mount Kenya commenced from the Simiron Gate of Mount Kenya National Park. On 15 th February 2018 at 6.30 am local time, after a rigorous full night climb, Pakistani flag was raised beside the Kenyan Flag with the “Bible on the mountain” nearby at the Point Leanna (4895m).
