PANDALAM: Pandalam native Sheikh Hasan Khan has made his dream come true by stepping on the summit of Everest. This 34-year-old hoisted the country's tricolour flag on Everest on May 14th. Sheikh, the son of Ali Ahmed and Shahida, started the climb on May 4.
Although he was initially accompanied by two more Indians, they withdrew due to health issues. Following this, Sheikh continued the climb along with fourteen foreigners. Sheikh, who arrived at the base camp on the 17th, is currently in Dukla, Nepal.
Sheikh also organised a painting exhibition at the base camp. He displayed paintings that won the first prize in a drawing competition among students from 14 districts on the subject of climbing. Sheikh had spent about Rs 30 lakh on preparations for the Everest climb. Sheikh, a senior grade assistant in the Secretariat, had also undergone training at the Nehru Mountaineering Training Center in Uttarkashi. He had also climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Tanzania on the African continent. Later, he climbed the small hills of Manali.