Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Thani, Reach Out to Asia’s (Rota’s) goodwill ambassador, has successfully climbed the world’s top seven summits, becoming the first Qatari to achieve this feat.
Sheikh Mohamed, a renowned mountaineer and adventurer, became one of just 350 mountaineers in the world to conquer the Seven Summits when he successfully reached the peak of Denali in Alaska, North America earlier this month.
Sheikh Mohamed started his Alaskan adventure in May 2016, reaching the summit of Denali on June 3, where he raised the Qatari flag.
The Denali Summit, which is 6,190m above sea level, proved to be one of the most challenging climbs Sheikh Mohamed has undertaken in his mountaineering career.
His 28-day trip was hampered by extremely bad weather conditions that saw him exposed to storms and wind-speeds of 80km per-hour. His success in the final stage of the Seven Summits climb would not have been possible without his patience, strong will and determination.
Climbing the Seven Summits is regarded as a particularly tough challenge for even the most experienced mountaineers.
It involves reaching the tops of mountains that include Mount Everest in Asia, the peak of which is 8,848m above sea level; Mount Aconcagua in South America, which rises 6,962m above sea level; Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa (5,895m); Mount Elbrus in Europe (5,642m); Vinson Massif in Antarctica (4,897m) and Mount Kosciusko in Australia (2,228m).
“I am extremely proud of having successfully hoisted the Qatari flag on the tallest peaks of each of the world’s seven continents. It is the culmination of a tiring schedule of thousands of hours of training and hard work. Like other adventurers taking on demanding challenges, I have encountered several risks and difficulties, but success in reaching these peaks has made all the effort worthwhile,” said Sheikh Mohamed.
Mohamed al-Naama, acting executive director, Rota, congratulated Sheikh Mohamed, saying: “Sheikh Mohamed has elevated Rota to new heights and promoted our mission and vision by proving that everyone has the opportunity to make a difference within their community, both on a small and global scale.”
Sheikh Mohamed began his journey of climbing the world’s tallest peaks on October 27, 2009, when he arrived with a group of friends to Everest Base Camp (5,364m), where adventurers from across the world gather before undertaking the Seven Summits challenge.
As Rota’s goodwill ambassador, Sheikh Mohamed has contributed to the organisation’s projects in several countries including an educational project in Nepal. He has also secured QR1.5mn in donations to rebuild Palestinian schools, specifically in the Gaza Strip.
A view of Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Thani at Mount Denali. Right: Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Thani holds the Qatari flag at Mount Denali.
