DUBAI // A select group from the Armed Forces have set their sights on the top of the world and aim to plant the nation’s flag on the summit of Mount Everest to mark the 40th anniversary of the unification of the services next year.
The band of climbers has been through a rigorous selection process to scale the world’s highest mountain. The team will comprise 16 men, whittled down from about 80 who initially applied three years ago.
By May 6, these men, from different branches of the Armed Forces and across various posts, plan to have reached the summit.
“The idea came up a few years ago for the UAE Armed Forces to have a team to climb the highest mountain,” said Sheikh Theyab bin Khalifa bin Hamdan, who is one of the climbers.
“We hope to reach the summit on May 6, the same day of the unification of the Armed Forces 40-year anniversary next year. Since the start the team has been going through selections. It was open to anyone in the Armed Forces, whether an officer or a non-commissioned soldier. They all went through physical tests and interviews to test them on their physical ability and mental strength.”
The team have climbed several mountain ranges overseas as part of the endurance training.
Sheikh Theyab said the men recently climbed in the Swiss Alps and Morocco’s Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa.
“We climbed about five summits so we did more than 8,000 metres of climb in 10 days when we recently did the Swiss Alps,” he said.
“Before that we also did Toubkal in Morocco. Those were four summits, all of them were 4,000 metres high. The guys on the team have different experiences, some climb more than others. We have one team member, Saeed, who has already climbed Everest.”
Saeed Al Memari was the first Emirati to reach the top of Everest, first in 2011 from Nepal and then again next year from Tibet.
“Our leaders always like us to be number one and this is a good goal to have to be the first UAE team on Mount Everest,” Mr Al Memari said.
It typically takes two months to climb Everest and the UAE team will leave at the end of March for the expedition.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
