First British Muslim to reach Everest Summit

In a series of achievements by many British Asian mountain climbers in recent years, Akke Rehman’s expedition has also been one that has made history.

Rehman is said to be the first British Muslim to reach the Everest summit, an expedition that started during the holy month of Ramadan which meant that he had been fasting for two weeks prior to scaling the mountain.

The Oldham resident faced many challenges on the way as he fell into a crevasse during the early part of the journey as a result of which everything was delayed and he had to miss celebrating Eid with his family. He managed to reach the summit on May 13, a feat that still takes him by disbelief.

In an interview with PA News Agency, Rehman said, “The beauty is just beyond. You can see Cho Oyu, which is another 8,000m or so, in one of my pictures. Makalu is right next to me. You can see Lhotse. There’s so much to see. You can see into Tibet. Oh man, it’s just… I can’t believe it. I was there. I can’t believe I was there. It’s still not sunk in yet.”

Rehman continued his fast during the climb, however, he admitted that it slowed him down and eventually had to skip it once he reached the base camp as he needed the energy to continue on.