Kota Kinabalu: Four Sabahan climbers will carry the State’s cultural heritage to one of the world’s most iconic mountain destinations as part of an eight-member Malaysian expedition to Mount Everest Base Camp.
Darlien Appolonius, 50, Stanley Catherinus, 45, Shyril Gerald Peter, 34, and Dufy Robert, 29, all from Papar, departed on Monday for the Oct 6-21 expedition to Kala Pathar, located at 5,644 metres on the Nepal side of the Himalayas.
The team aims to photograph the traditional Kadazandusun headgear, the ‘sigah’, at the base camp in what would mark a proud moment for Sabah’s indigenous culture.
Before their departure from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, the mountaineers paid a courtesy visit to POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, who presented them with the POIC flag and customised T-shirts.
POIC Sabah, a co-sponsor of the expedition, gave the team a warm send-off at the airport.
“We look forward to them reaching Kala Pathar and creating lasting memories of our traditional heritage among the roofs of the world. POIC’s support for this expedition reflects our shared spirit of pushing boundaries and going beyond limits,” said POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer Lynette Hoo.
The expedition represents an opportunity to promote Sabah’s rich cultural traditions on an international stage while celebrating the adventurous spirit of the state’s mountaineers.
