8 climbers set to raise Jalur Gemilang atop Mount Elbrus

SEPANG: Eight Malaysian climbers will celebrate the 60th Merdeka Day by scaling Mount Elbrus in Russia – the highest peak in continental Europe – with the Jalur Gemilang.
The expedition lined up to spur the patriotic spirit ahead of the National Day has been organised by the Alpine Club Malaysia with support from the Perdana Ummah Foundation and Salute Malaysia.
The participants aged between 30 and 40 are expected to take seven days to climb to the summit of Mount Elbrus at a height of 5,642m.
Expedition leader Muhammad Illaham Ishak said the climbers would face several challenges such as extreme cold weather with heavy snow and snowy tracks, in addition to risks of contracting Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).
"We have been training for about a year now to ensure we are all in the best shape for the climb," he said after the flag handing over ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here, today.
"We have also equipped ourselves with equipment to climb on snowy tracks and cold weather, however, reaching the peak of Mount Elbrus still depend on the weather condition," added Muhammad Illaham.
At the event Ummah Perdana Foundation executive chairman Datuk Rizal Mansor handed over the Jalur Gemilang to the team leader.
Muhammad Illaham said the expedition was also aimed at promoting the 'Aman Palestine' fundraising campaign to finance the building of infrastructure for clean water supply in Syria.
Meanwhile, Rizal, who is also the Prime Minister's special officer, said the expedition would spur patriotic spirit, as well as inspire the younger generation.
"The eight climbers who will make the country proud through climbing, will motivate the younger generation to achieve success in the future," he said. — Bernama