'... My office support team'

"My brothers Lorenzo, Dino and I were born in England, Northamptonshire to be exact, where my parents had migrated to from Italy after their marriage, which was certainly more than 47 years ago as that's how old Lorenzo is."

"Later, when I was still a child, we moved back to Monaco, Italy, where we grew up," recalls Luigi Gariano, general manager of Thamina Jewellery, Dubai.

"Monaco is a coastal city and Northamptonshire certainly didn't have mountains, so the fact that both of my brothers grew up to be great mountaineers and Lorenzo, one of the best and the most daring in the world, that's downright strange!"

"As for me, I have always preferred to stay at sea level," says the 42-year-old, laughing.

"But for Lorenzo, mountains are magical; they've beckoned him since he was very young. He took an early interest in mountaineering while still in Italy and would climb at every opportunity.

"Having gone back to England when he was 17 (where he lived for the next 30 years migrating back to Italy only recently), he had the opportunity to pursue his dreams.

"Over the years, his fondness for climbing turned into a great passion and he decided to attempt what few other climbers have attempted and even fewer have succeeded. He wanted to scale the highest peaks of the seven continents."

Luigi's brother aimed to climb Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Elbrus (Russia), Aconcagua (Argentina), Vinson Massif (Antarctica), Denali or Mt McKinley (North America), Carstensz Pyramid or Puncak Jaya (Indonesia) and Everest (China-Nepal).

According to the Seven Summits website (http://www.7summits.com) only 108 people have accomplished this feat and Lorenzo was only the second Italian to attempt it.

"Although Lorenzo has completed six of his challenges - including Carstensz Pyramid in early December last year - his fourth successful climb remains an unforgettable one for me," says Luigi.

"That was the expedition to the top of Mt Everest which began on April 15 last year. I had moved to Dubai eight months prior to this and it turned out to be a whole new experience for me.

"Back in Italy, Lorenzo was a local hero and as he prepared for and went through each challenge, we would all be together - our immediate and extended family - cheering him on, anticipating every little scrap of news transmitted to us via satellite phones and, of course, praying for him. To conquer the forces of nature, you need God on your side.

"So this year, having moved to Dubai, things were different. I didn't have my family around me and was constantly worrying about the (climbing) party.

"My mother and I kept in touch frequently. She too was more worried than usual as I was away and she had not one, but two sons to pray for - as Dino was climbing with Lorenzo.

"As I went through nights and days, fretting and worrying - it was an exceptionally bad year at the Everest last year with many mountaineers having died - word about Lorenzo passed through my office.

"And I found out one of the most amazing things about humanity. With the potpourri of people living in the UAE, I discovered that it didn't matter from where you came or what your skin colour was, suddenly, everyone was tuned into one person, one goal - Lorenzo summiting Everest," says Luigi.

"It's very touching even when I think of it now. Every day as I walked in everyone - from the office boy to my boss - would enquire about Lorenzo's progress.

"Although I was far, far away from home and my family, the people around me didn't let me miss it. They would cheer along with me when there was good news and fret when there was none.

"And after the long suspense, the terrible weather on Everest which cut off all communications with us during those last few days and a longer wait than usual, one early morning, 52 days after he began his ascent, I received a single message on my mobile.

"I grabbed the phone - wondering, hoping. There was just one word: 'summit'. It was one of those unforgettable moments, filled with relief and such gratitude and joy. 'Summit' - one unforgettable word, which I still have saved on my phone.

"Later, as word passed around work, it was very beautiful. Everyone was smiling as hard as I was and the words 'Your brother made it?' were all I heard that day.

"That one unforgettable word and those unforgettable days when people I barely knew rallied around me, like a family, will always stay in my heart."