RIYADH, 26 May 2008 -- Farouk Saad Hamad Al-Zuman, the first Saudi to leave his footprints on the summit of Mt. Everest, has successfully made his descent to the base camp.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), was the first to congratulate Al-Zuman on Friday after his satellite phone began working at the camp. Al-Zuman intends to stay at the base camp, which is located at an altitude of 5,360 meters, for a few days.

"I am very happy to learn about your achievement at becoming the first Saudi to reach the summit of Mount Everest. I will receive you (Al-Zuman) when you return back from your expedition," said Prince Sultan.

The mountaineer is expected to return back to Riyadh in the next two weeks. The camp, where Al-Zuman is currently taking rest, is a rudimentary location on Everest used by climbers during their ascent and descent.

"A number of other officials, family members and friends also called Al-Zuman to extend their heart-felt greetings," said Bader Sultan Al-Bazie, a spokesman of Attariq Communications, who has been authorized to speak on Al-Zuman's behalf.

"Al-Zuman is now out of the danger zone at the down-altitude camp, where supplies are carried by Nepalese Sherpas with the help of animals," he added.

Climbers typically rest there to acclimatize and to reduce the severity of altitude sickness. Base camps usually consist of long lines of tents with food, blankets and lights. The trek to the Everest Base Camp takes a climber through lush valleys with abundant flora and fauna. This year, a record 75 climbers, including seven members of Al-Zuman team, reached the summit of Mt. Everest in a single day from the Nepal side of the world's highest mountain, according to a report.

The milestone was confirmed, as news came that a Swiss climber had died on his way down from the summit. In fact, favorable weather conditions allowed over 100 climbers to scale the 8,850-meter peak during the week.

Surprisingly, a 76-year-old Nepali man became the oldest person to climb to the top of Everest this year, beating a record set last year by a Japanese man.

Asked about the possibility of promoting mountaineering in Saudi Arabia following the interest generated by Al-Zuman's achievement, a mountaineering expert Mohammed Sadiq said: "This (mountain climbing) can be promoted locally, since there are several mountains in different parts of the Kingdom... but, mountaineering is mainly practiced on rudimentary rocks or mountains."

Sadiq, who is a very successful rider, having a high-profile equestrian career, added, "The Southern Region (Asir) is relatively fertile and has coastal mountains. Mountain peaks rise to 3,000 meters."

He noted that the northern mountain range in the Hijaz seldom exceeds 2,100 meters and that, therefore, there is a need to conduct an extensive survey before planning any mountaineering activity.

Sadiq, who has extensive mountaineering experience in Nepal and India, said that the height of mountains exceed 2,400 meters in several places in the south of Makkah with some peaks topping 3,000 meters. "We will have to see the composition of these mountains before providing training to the young boys in mountaineering," said Sadiq.

By Ghazanfar Ali Khan

© Arab News 2008