LABUAN: A group of 18 local climbers has brought pride to Labuan by successfully reaching the 4,130m mark of the Annapurna base camp in Nepal.
The expedition, which began on May 16, consists of those ranging in age from nine to 63.
One of the climbers, Mohd Ismifarizal Mohammed Ishak, said the expedition was, among others, aimed to hoist both the Malaysian and Labuan flags at the base camp, which serves as the gateway to Mount Annapurna, the world’s 10th highest peak at 8,091m.
“We are very proud to reach the camp in five days, all in good health... we flew the Malaysian and Labuan flags along with the flags of Labuan-based organisations such as LDA Holdings, Yayasan Pembangunan Labuan, SMK Labuan, Sekolah Rendah Integrasi Teras Islam (SRITI) Labuan, and Labuan International School (LIS), with which some of our climbers are affiliated,” Ismi told Bernama yesterday.
The youngest in the group are two siblings – nine-year-old Muhammad Isyraf Fiqry Ismifarizal and 16-year-old Muhammad Isyraf Faiz Ismifarizal, along with Diya Khalish Kasryanto, 15, and Muhammad Kaszym Aqim Kasryanto, 17.Mohd Ismifarizal said the expedition began via the traditional route from Ghorepani (2,874m) to Poon Hill (3,210m).
He said the group reached Annapurna base camp at 6.06am (Nepal time) on May 21, and all the climbers reported no breathing difficulties despite the cold weather.
“We owe our success to the support and prayers of our parents, relatives and friends... we hope this achievement inspires more Malaysians to participate in such expeditions, bringing further pride to our nation and Labuan,” Ismi said.
