SHAH ALAM, Sept 15 — A mission to Everest Base Camp (EBC) in Nepal will be a crucial step for young climber Mohd Syahrulnizam Mohd Noor as he prepares to conquer Mount Everest in 2028.
EBC Challenge 2026 expedition leader Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar said Syahrulnizam, 22, had great potential to achieve the goal, based on his experience and accomplishments in mountaineering from a young age.
“We feel that he is ‘Everest material’, someone with potential, and we are planning to put Syahrulnizam on the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, in 2028.
“We hope that at the age of 24, he will achieve that special feat,” he said after receiving a special contribution from Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari for the EBC Challenge 2026 at the Menteri Besar’s official residence here yesterday.
According to Johan, the programme is not merely a climbing expedition but also serves as a platform to train young climbers and encourage a new generation to take up outdoor activities and extreme sports.
He said Syahrulnizam had extensive experience despite his young age, having reached the summit of Mount Kinabalu at the age of four and again when he was six, as well as completing climbs in Malaysia, Indonesia and Nepal.
“One of the programme’s key objectives is to train several young climbers, particularly Syahrulnizam, who has tremendous potential.
“This is one of our efforts to motivate young people to get involved in outdoor activities, particularly extreme sports,” he said.
Johan said the journey from Lukla to EBC would take between 10 and 12 days, with participants required to trek for about five to seven hours each day.
Besides stamina and mental strength, he said participants would also need to acclimatise to the high altitude to reduce the risk of altitude sickness during the journey.
“EBC is a difficult route. It is not easy for young people, let alone those who are older.
“We need about 10 to 12 days from Lukla, trekking for five to seven hours a day. Stamina and mental strength are among the challenges we have to face,” he said.
Johan also expressed his appreciation to Amirudin and the state government for supporting the programme, particularly its efforts to develop the potential of young climbers.
“I would like to thank Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari and the state government for supporting the EBC Challenge 2026 programme.
“This is among our efforts to encourage young people and the younger generation to try trekking and climbing,” he said.
Meanwhile, Syahrulnizam said the upcoming mission would be his sixth expedition to Nepal and his third with Johan, adding that he had undergone more than a month of training in preparation.
The Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam Diploma in Sports Science and Recreation student said the state government’s contribution would also help cover airfares, clothing and equipment, as well as expenses during the expedition in Nepal.
“This is the first time I have received such assistance, and it is a great help for this expedition.
“I would like to thank the menteri besar for the financial assistance. We are very grateful,” he said.
The 11-member team is scheduled to leave for Nepal on September 16, while two members are already there as part of an advance team.
Earlier, Amirudin presented a special contribution of RM38,000 to Johan to support the expedition.
