5-year-old climber becomes youngest Singaporean to reach Mount Everest base camp

Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)

On Monday, April 29, Abyan Irkiz made history as the youngest Singaporean to reach the foot of Mount Everest. The five-year-old arrived at the base camp with his father, Zikri Ali, after an eight-day trek over 65km of rocky terrain. At 5.36km above sea level, it is used by climbers as a base to ascend the world’s highest mountain.

“This climb was the first time for both of us. I was really impressed by Abyan’s determination. Throughout the entire trip, he never ... expressed any desire to give up. It was a very proud moment for me,” Zikri said.

Preparing for the climb

Abyan earned the nickname “Spider-Man” as a toddler. He was always climbing out of his high chair and onto the grilles of doors and windows.

“This constant climbing made us worry, but his father also saw something special. He wondered if Abyan could achieve more with proper training,” said War War Lwin Tun, Abyan’s mother.

As Abyan grew older, Zikri thought trekking to Mount Everest base camp would be an interesting goal for his son. He came up with a training programme using hikes in Singapore. War War, a yoga instructor, designed five yoga poses to help Abyan cool down and loosen up his muscles after every workout.

A big adventure

Abyan and his father set off for Mount Everest base camp on April 20. They took two flights to the small town of Lukla, where they began their trek and faced their first challenge: the extreme cold.

Abyan had to drink hot water because of the freezing temperatures. It made him angry at first. But he soon understood he needed it to stay warm.

The youngster has fond memories of the trip. He liked playing Uno at night and seeing tall mountains.

He enjoyed being on the Hillary Bridge, which is 135 metres tall. “I liked being on the suspension bridge. I [felt] like I was in the sky,” Abyan said.

Abyan also saw a special animal that locals call “jokyo”. “It is a half cow, half yak. I wanted to ride it, but I was too short,” he said.

But it might not be long before Abyan can ride a jokyo. He dreams of climbing to the top of Mount Everest one day.

Use the puzzle below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.

Sample answers

• Before you read: Answers may vary. (i.e. determination, bravery, persistence, a sense of adventure, etc)

• Stop and think: The extreme cold was difficult for them. Abyan had to drink hot water to stay warm, which he did not like.

• Consider: Abyan was always climbing out of his high chair and onto things like the grilles on doors and windows, so his father thought that hiking to Everest would be a good challenge.