UK-Based Pakistani Doctor Dies After Spantik Summit
News Desk
Islamabad: Pakistani mountaineer and UK-based doctor Asma Mushtaq has died after suffering a medical emergency during her descent from Spantik peak in the Karakoram, shortly after successfully reaching the 7,027-metre summit.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said Mushtaq was in good health when she reached the summit but developed a serious medical condition while descending from an altitude of around 6,400 metres.
Her mountain guides immediately provided medical assistance and attempted to save her, but she could not survive. Media reports suggested that she may have suffered from high-altitude sickness, although the Alpine Club described the incident as a medical emergency.
Mushtaq, originally from Lahore, was a doctor based in the United Kingdom and worked in maternity and childcare. Outside her medical career, she was passionate about mountaineering, travelling and exploring natural landscapes, and was also involved in travel vlogging.
She had taken part in several mountaineering expeditions in Pakistan. Among her achievements was a successful winter ascent of the 4,076-metre Musa Ka Musalla peak. She had also participated in expeditions in the Rupal and Arandu regions.
Her death highlights the risks that climbers continue to face even after reaching a mountain summit. At extreme elevations, low oxygen levels, severe cold, sudden weather changes, rockfalls and other hazards can make the descent as dangerous as the ascent.
The so-called “death zone” at extreme altitude can be particularly unforgiving, as climbers may experience rapidly deteriorating health even after completing a successful summit attempt.
Pakistan’s northern mountains attract climbers from around the world, but a series of recent accidents has underscored the dangers of high-altitude expeditions. In July, a 10-member international mountaineering team was reportedly killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak.
Mushtaq’s death occurred during the return journey from Spantik, highlighting a critical reality of high-altitude mountaineering: reaching the summit is only part of the challenge, with a safe descent often proving equally demanding.
