After 13 days on the slopes of Mount Everest, Brunei’s Everest trekkers that originally comprised of an eight-man team was whittled down to six, as the sheer force and unforgiving elements at the world’s highest mountain left two by the wayside as the rest continued on with their climb up to their goal – the Everest Base Camp.
Dato Paduka Hj Mahmud, father of the youngest in the team of intrepid Everest trekkers, Hj Adi Irham, yesterday confirmed that the six-man team has accomplished the goal that it set out to do, which was to play the world’s highest chess game ever, as the first Bruneian team to reach the Everest Base Camp, through the rigorous 120-kilometre trek in order to raise $50,000 for the National Charity Fund.
“Pengiran Sharifuddin spoke to Radio Television Brunei’s morning talk show ‘Rampai Pagi’ on Tuesday and confirmed that the six men had indeed reached Everest Base Camp on schedule last Sunday, May 2,” said Dato Hj Mahmud.
“They arrived and spent the night there. Alhamdulillah, they have achieved their objective and I wish for their safe return home soon,” he added.
According to the latest posting on the Everest Trekking Amal’s web site yesterday, “the team should now be on their final leg of the 120 km charity walk. They are descending from Namche Bazaar to their final destination of Lukla. Their estimated time of arrival will be around 4pm Nepali time”.