Samina Baig, The Young Woman Who Climbs Mountains, Literally

Malala Yousafzai may be the most famous young Pakistani woman in the world – but she should perhaps share that status with 21-year old Samina Khayyal Baig, a young lady who, like Malala, has shattered the stereotypes about females from her country. Samina is a mountaineer – not just any mountain climber, but a woman who has already scaled the tallest peak in the world, Mount Everest, and plans to conquer many more. Samina and her brother Mirza Ali Baig recently scaled Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, making them the first Pakistanis to have reached the summit of the highest peak in South America. The Alpine Club of Pakistan reported that the duo arrived at the top of Aconcagua – which is 6,961 meters (or 22,838 feet) high – on Dec. 13, after “battling harsh weather conditions for almost nine hours.”

Samina had already achieved legendary status in Pakistan – in May of this year, she became the very first woman from her country to scale the highest mountain on earth, Mount Everest in Nepal. She is also the third Pakistani to climb Everest (regardless of gender) and, for the record, the youngest Muslim woman to do so (at the tender age of only 21). But this is only the beginning of Samina’s quest – in late November she and her brother left Pakistan to embark on a grand adventure to climb seven peaks in seven continents (Argentina was the first stop on their global excursion). According to ACP, Samina and Mirza will next voyage to Antarctica in January to attempt to climb Mount Vinson (16,050 ft.), then move on to Tanzania in East Africa to scale Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft.) before returning to their native Pakistan for a rest.

Subsequently, the siblings will travel to Indonesia to scurry up Puncak Jaya (16,024 ft.). By next summer, they hope to be in Alaska in the United States to climb Mount McKinley (20,322 ft.). The pair’s seventh, and last, mountain will be Mount Elbrus (18,510 ft.) in the western Caucasus, the highest peak in Europe, in August 2014.

Dawn, an English-language Pakistani newspaper, reported that the expedition has been sponsored by a Pakistani philanthropist, an American citizen, and is designed to improve Pakistan’s image around the world and also to encourage gender equality. “Our goal is to connect with the world to promulgate not just peace and understanding but a love for nature, the nuanced beauty of different places,” Mirza, 30, said at a reception before their eight-month global expedition. “Our aim is also to promote peace and love for nature and its inhabitants. We’ve had enough of bombs, we should give peace a chance now.” Mirza works as a mountain guide, expedition leader and trainer in the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush ranges.