Malaysian climbers put up Jalur Gemilang on Mount Ararat, Turkey

While the Jalur Gemilang is proudly waving in every nook and corner of the country, a group of Malaysian climbers recorded a historical moment after successfully putting up the national flag on top of Mount Ararat in Turkey on Friday.

The expedition comprised eight climbers accompanied by three instructors headed by National Adventure Association head Datuk Khalid Yunus.

Khalid, when contacted by Bernama via his Facebook account said they took 10 hours to reach the top of the 5,137m high mountain.

"God willing, the climb was successful as all the climbers reached the top safely.

"Most special was when we managed to put up the Jalur Gemilang two days before the historical moment of the country's 57th anniversary celebration," he said.

It is part of the training for the climbers who would be climbing the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest in March next year, he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Rafi Kori, who is also the chief coach for the mission, said Mount Ararat was picked because its condition was similar to Mount Everest.

"The subsequent training will be climbing Mount Aconcagua (6,962m) in Argentina in December or January.

"Climbing mountains in Malaysia, as part of our training, is also still being continued every month including Mount Kinabalu," he added.