ISLAMABAD - Hassan Sadpara, the second climber of Pakistan after Nazir Sabir, who successfully climbed Mount Everest recently, gave briefing to media about his venture during a press conference here at National Press Club on Saturday. The expedition was launched on March 30 by Alpine Club and the trip was funded on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari. A four-member team comprising M Ali Changezi, Vice President, Alpine Club, expedition leader and manager, Hassan Sadpara, lead climber, M Sadiq, brother of Hassan Sadpara and support climber, who has the honour of climbing three Pakistani peaks rising above 8000 metres, GM Faisal, the assistant manager and support member. The expedition left Islamabad on March 30 and reached Kathmandu on March 31, through Karachi. The climbers reached Everest base camp 5,350-metre on April 11 after five days trek. After full acclimatisation Hassan Sadpara established camp one at 5,900-metre by mid April and was able to reach camp III 7,200m on May 7. Sadpara said he felt so fit and relaxed that he did not need acclimatisation any further. On finding favourable weather and excellent fitness I decided to make a summit attempt on April 10m, he said. He said that after spending night at camp III, he reached camp IV 8,000 m adding that he took rest and then left camp IV same night using head torch in the darkness. He said a few climbers by then had already set in for their summit attempt prior to Sadpara. I was able to cross to all the climbers en route to the south summit. When I reached the south summit about 300 meters short of the main Everest summit, suddenly the weather started to get unpleasant, as snowfall started and the visibility became zero, he said. He narrated that most of the climbers decided to abandon the climb and started descending back to camp IV. Sherpas and other climbers who were accompanying Sadpara advised him to return, but he being determined said, either I will brandish Pakistani flag after summit or perish at the spot, and started further climbing blindly only with the help of an old fixed rope. He said about six climbers including Sherpas started to follow his footsteps. I finally reached the Everest Summit on May 12 and proudly flew Green Flag and Alpine Club flag at the spot. Hassan Sadpara, 48-year-old, hails from Sadpara, Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan. He started mountain climbing career as a professional mountaineer in 1999, in the company of visiting foreign expeditions and had since climbed Nanga Parbat (8,125m) in July 1999, K-2 (8,611m) in July 2004, Gashebrum II (8,035m) in July 2006 and Gashebrum I (8,068m) also in July 2006, climbing two peaks in one week. In 2007 he became the second Pakistani after climbing Broad Peak (8,047m) to bag the honor of climbing all five Pakistani peaks rising above 8000 meters. On the recommendation of Alpine Club Hassan Sadpara was awarded Pride of Performance by Government of Pakistan in 2008. Alpine Club has already recommended Hassans name for Sitar-e-Imtiaz.