Two Pakistani mountaineers (brother and sister) have vowed to market Mount Kilimanjaro worldwide, saying Tanzania’s hospitality industry is optimal.
Speaking after scaling Mount Kilimanjaro recently, the duo Ms. Samina Baig and Mr. Mirza Ali said they enjoyed their visit to Tanzania, especially Kilimanjaro region.
“Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro and generally our visit to Tanzania will be memorable because of the friendly smiles and great hospitality we were given by the tour operators, porters, and general public” Mr Ali said.
He said that though Tanzania doesn’t have an embassy in Pakistan, the cooperation they were accorded by the immigration of getting visa at the airport left them with a lasting impression.
Mr Ali said that he hoped that a Tanzania Embassy could be opened in Pakistan such that the two nations may share more what they have in common. Records have it that MsBaig in December last year became the first woman in Pakistan to scale the highest mountain of the world, Mount Evarest that stands at 8,850m.
“One of the objectives of these climbs is to inspire women and empower them into believing that they can do whatever they want to do if they put heart and soul in it,” she said.
She added that another goal of these expeditions is to paint good image of what Pakistan has to offer and not just negative news.
The duo has already conquered the 6,962-metre Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, South America, and the 4,892-metre Mount Vinson in Antarctica during the past two months.
The siblings intend to travel to Indonesia to scurry up Puncak Jaya (16,024 ft.). By next summer, they hope to be in Alaska in the United State to climb Mount McKinley (20,322 ft.). Their last mountain to climb is expected to be Mount Elbrus (18,510 ft.) in the western Caucasus, in August this year.
