Kota Kinabalu: Florensia Grace Gainus and Shartner Liew, both from Kiulu, have made history by conquering Mera Peak in the Himalayas, Nepal.
Accompanied by their close friend Justin Paul Tamin who acted as the group leader, the trio embarked on the challenging climb on Dec 17 and reached the summit in stages on Dec 25 morning, coinciding with Christmas, thus celebrating the festive occasion at the high-altitude peak.
The achievement was particularly special for Florensia as she also celebrated her birthday on Christmas Day.
“This is truly a blessing from God. The three of us safely reached the summit. Climbing Mera was incredibly challenging compared to Mount Kinabalu.
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Florensia received a warm welcome from her family, including her mother Agnes Timah Dusip who had been extremely concerned until her daughter called via WhatsApp to assure her that she had safely reached the base camp.
Shartner said he was equally elated to have fulfilled his dream of reaching the summit of Mera.
“Prior to this, I had read numerous accounts of climbers who failed to conquer Mera or lost their lives during the ascent. However, those stories did not deter us from persisting and striving towards our goal.
“After a day of climbing from the base camp, my confidence in reaching the summit grew.
“Thankfully, I was in good health, which made the journey to climb Mount Mera somewhat easier,” he said.
Mera Peak, also known as Puncak Mera, stands at a height of 6,479 metres.
Apart from Mera Peak, the Himalayan Mountains are also home to Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world, towering at a height of 8,849 metres or 29,032 feet.
Justin, from Membakut, expressed gratitude for overcoming various obstacles and challenges.
“After facing numerous hurdles, we are grateful to have triumphed. It’s truly a remarkable accomplishment.”
All three received certificates from the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) & Everest Trekking Routes Pvt Ltd.
According to NMA records, the three Sabah climbers were the first group from Borneo to reach the peak of Mera.
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