Legendary mountaineer Muhammad Karim passed away on Monday at the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi, Pamir Times reported. According to reports, he was 72.

The climbing expert was also known as “Little Karim”, a name given to him by the leader of a French expedition in 1979. In 1985, French documentary maker Laurent Chevallier shot a documentary based on Karim. In 1997, the same filmmaker shot another documentary based on the mountaineering legend, this time titled 'Mister Karim'.

Karim, who hailed from the Hushe valley of Ghanche district, was suffering from a liver disease but due to his age, a transplant was not possible. He holds the world record for climbing the 8,035 metres high Gasherbrum 2, without supplementary oxygen.

In February, pictures of an ailing Little Karim started making rounds on social media, further highlighting the plight of the heroes of the country. The late mountaineer’s son also spoke about the family's hardship in a video message, while announcing that they will auction an original Real Madrid football jersey, gifted to Little Karim by Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, just to meet medical expenses.

Karim was an avid Ronaldo fan and was able to meet the football star during a visit to Spain in 2018.

“My name is Muhammad Hanif. I am the son of the international hero ‘Little Karim’. My father is ill. Around Rs10,000-12,000 is monthly spent on my father’s medicines. I have not been earning any remuneration for the last two years,” he had said. Sharing his father’s wish for setting up a climbing school, Hanif said that he has sold his native house for buying the equipment for the school. He added that the family has no home to live in the village.

The video was shared by many people, including journalists based in GB.

Gilgit Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid Khan on February 1 announced that the provincial government would bear all the expenses of Little Karim's treatment and employment would also be arranged for his children.

Tributes pour in

Tributes started to pour in for the late mountaineer.

Netherlands Ambassador to Pakistan Wouter Plomp prayed for Little Karim.

This user shared the achievements of the mountaineer.

Another user termed it a "great loss to the nation."

Little Karim

According to Karim’s interview with Dawn on June 22, 2014, he was born in the remote village of Hushe in the lush green valley of Skardu.

According to *The Express Tribune's February 8, 2020, article "Karim also made a name for himself when he climbed the 8,035 metre-high Gasherbrum 2 without supplementary oxygen and set a world record in the process."