Nothing could make a Malaysian mountaineer feel prouder and thrilled than to hold the Jalur Gemilang at the peak of Mount Everest, which is the world's highest mountain.

That was how N. Elanghovan, 64, felt when he reached the top of Mount Everest recently, making him the oldest Malaysian to do so.

He said he was at the top of the 8,849-metre-high mountain for about 10 minutes and the condition then was windy and freezing cold.

"It made me feel like I was at the top of the world...my life's greatest moment to be at the peak of the mountain. It is like winning a gold in the Olympics," he said.

The feat secured him a place in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) as the oldest Malaysian to do so.

"I felt very proud to hold the Malaysian flag at the top of the world. It gave immense satisfaction having prepared and trained for the feat so many years," he told Bernama.

Elanghovan, who is fondly known as Elango, said he was extremely tired by the time he reached the summit of Mount Everest.

"It was very windy and cold, I was dumbfounded. It took a few minutes for the moment to sink in me, that I am at the peak of Mount Everest.

"No words can really describe the feeling...I have scaled and reached the top of a few hills and mountains, but the feeling was different. The view from the peak (of Mount Everest) was breathtaking...I can only see clouds and the top of other mountains," he added.

Elango was part of a three-man expedition team who included T. Ravichandran, 57, also known as Ravi Everest, that reached the top of Mount Everest at 9.17 am Nepal time (11.32 am Malaysian time) last May 12.

He said Malaysia is rich in flora and fauna and all quarters should undertake the responsibility to preserve nature's gift for the people's wellbeing and for the benefit of future generations.

"Malaysia is a country rich in biodiversity. As Malaysians, we should be grateful and feel proud of the resources available in the country. We have to protect our forests and the environment because by doing so also shows our love for the country," he said.

Elango said during his hiking and trekking experiences, the hikers are from various cultures and backgrounds.

"But, we all enjoyed each other's company and will encourage and motivate each other until we reach the destination or summit.

Having reached the world's highest mountain peak, Elango now plans to conquer the Seven Summits -the highest mountains in each of the seven traditional continents. Climbing to the summit of all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge.

He had reached the peak of Mt Kilimanjaro (5,895 metres) in Africa in August 2016.

He has yet to climb Mt Denali (6,194 metres) in Alaska, North America; Mt Aconcagua (6,961 metres) in Argentina, South America; Mt Elbrus (5,642 metres) in Russia, Europe; Mt Vinson Massif (4,892 metres) in Antarctica and Mt Kosciuszko (2,228 metres) in Australia.

-- BERNAMA