Kathmandu: Sixteen climbers from the UAE Armed Forces have set up camp in the Khumbu valley, 5,364 metres above sea level in the Himalayas in Nepal, as they prepare to climb Mount Everest.
The UAE military team will camp there for several weeks in preparation for the main adventure, which is attempting to climb the world’s highest peak as the first official military team in the region.
The climbers have previously completed a nine-day trek from the village of Lokla, staying overnight in several villages along the trail before reaching the Everest base camp.
Dr Hashel Obaid Al Tunaiji, one of the team members and the doctor accompanying the mission, said that all the team members are in good health and have gradually adapted to the high altitudes and the decreasing levels of oxygen.
Al Tunaiji pointed out that camping in such altitudes is compulsory as it allows the body to begin producing more red blood cells to carry more oxygen, because as climbers go higher the air pressure drops and the availability of oxygen decreases.
He added that it is of prime medical importance to climb mountains at a slow rate so the body has enough time to produce more red blood cells. He indicated that despite the UAE team’s high level of fitness, which aids them in their climbing efforts, such a preventive process is necessary in order to withstand the harsh conditions and lack of oxygen in high altitudes.
The UAE team will undergo intensive training on equipment and preparations for the climb during their stay at Mount Everest’s Base Camp, and then proceed to cross the Khumbu Icefall, a very dangerous stage that must be passed by climbers in order to lead them to advanced camps and reach Everest’s summit.
