Two Scots have become the first people to reach the summit of the treacherous Nanga Parbat mountain in Pakistan.
According to officials of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Sandy Allan, from Newtonmore, and Rick Allen of Aberdeen, have become the first to reach the summit of the 8126-metre high peak.
The 10km-long Mazeno Ridge has claimed dozens of lives and the pair had to cross no fewer than eight 7000-metre peaks to finally reach their goal two weeks ago.
Sandy said: “It was extremely challenging as you spend a lot of time above 6500 metres. It has been climbed before but not all the way.
“There is a sharp, knife-edged range which makes it tricky as there is a lot of technical climbing at very high altitude.”
One member of the team, Cathy O' Dowd, who has twice scaled Mount Everest, found the final assault too tough and abandoned her attempt.
Sandy, who also is involved in guiding Mount Everest as well as leading many new technical climbs in Scotland, said he has no immediate plans on the horizon other than to take a well earned break.
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