KLANG: It was not an easy feat, but Selangor Raja Muda Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and his team have successfully scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in a challenging eight-day adventure.
Besides Tengku Amir, the others in the team were his brother-in-law Datuk Aubry Rahim Mennesson, cousins Datuk Syed Haizam Hishamuddin Putra Jamalullail and Tengku Ezrique Ezzuddean Tengku Ardy Esfandiari and friend Keong Yeen Yeoh.
The group took on the arduous task of raising funds to set up a speech and hearing centre at Raja Tun Uda Library here.
Speaking through WhatsApp Messenger, Syed Haizam said it was a huge challenge trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Definitely one of the most physically, mentally and emotionally challenging experiences of my life.
“The mix of high altitude, big changes in temperature from night to day, and the long days of trekking do indeed take a toll.
“It definitely wasn’t easy. We underestimated how cold it could get, and altitude plays a huge factor in how we trekked each day,’’ said Syed Haizam.
He added that a lot of the trekking was aimed at getting climbers acclimatised to the altitude to avoid acute mountain sickness which would hinder the trip up to the summit.
According to Syed Haizam, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro was a very unique experience, as one would need to hike through five different terrains with contrasting vegetation to get to the top.
He said the team was currently exhausted but proud to have accomplished the feat and was recuperating at Arusha National Park, which was about two hours away from Mount Kilimanjaro.
They have been scheduled to be home by Malaysia Day on Sept 16.
Aubry Rahim, meanwhile, said the main challenges of Mount Kilimanjaro were the arctic conditions on the mountain – freezing cold at night and burning sun during the day.
“Oxygen at the peak is half that at sea level, making it extremely difficult for the human body to function correctly. Time spent at the peak was limited to 30 minutes only,’’ he added.
Upon reaching the summit, the Raja Muda’s insignia flag, the Malaysian flag, as well as the Selangor and Perlis flags, were held up by the five climbers.
(Syed Haizam’s mother is Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s younger sister Tengku Puteri Nor Zehan, and his father is the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail’s younger brother Tan Sri Syed Anwar Jamalullail, who is the Perlis Tengku Syarif Panglima. Hence, Syed Haizam belongs to both the Selangor and Perlis royal houses.)
The initiative to set up the speech and hearing centre at Raja Tun Uda Library here took root after Syed Haizam realised the high cost involved after his daughter underwent cochlear implant surgery at the age of four.
“I realised that the cost of treatment can be a barrier to many in Malaysia,’’ Syed Haizam said.
The proposed speech and hearing centre will offer free hearing tests and subsidise follow-up treatments for those in need.
Those who want to help contribute can do so at https://www.simplygiving.com/speech-and-hearing-aid-centre-yprtu
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