TEACHER Khulood Abdulla is set to become the first Arab woman to climb Mount Everest.

The 31-year-old Bahraini will accompany adventurer Adnan Al Qassab up the highest mountain on earth in April next year.
This September they will travel to Nepal to climb the 8,200-metre-high Mount Choyou in preparation for conquering the 8,848-metre-high Everest.
“It feels as if my dream is about to come true,” said Ms Abdulla, in an exclusive interview with GulfWeekly. “It’s making history and I’m very excited and positive.
“We’re training all the time now, climbing hills in Sakhir, carrying bags loaded with big bottles of water and tying weights to our ankles. I also train in the gym every day.
“But I know it’s going to be hard. It’s really difficult and dangerous so I am quite afraid. Adnan has told me about the conditions we will experience.
“The main problem is breathing because we will be so high up. We’ll drink a lot of water to keep rehydrated and take tablets for altitude sickness and vitamins. We’ll have to wear at least four layers of clothes to keep the cold out and prevent frostbite.”
Pupils at Ali Boys’School were said to be “excited” that their teacher was embarking on such an adventure although her family have their misgivings.
“My father is worried, but I told him I am doing it for me. It’s difficult to convey that it is your dream. But I thought if I didn’t do it now I would never do it. So I made up my mind and took the decision and I feel good,” she explained.
Ms Abdulla signed up for the challenge three months ago when she responded to an invitation put out by Mr Al Qassab in our sister paper, the Gulf Daily News, earlier this year. The explorer was searching for a Bahraini woman to make history.
“Men have done it before,” said Mr Al Qassab, 45, assistant manager at the Batelco staff centre and the chairman of the Bahrain Road Runners, “but never an Arab lady. It will make history and show the world what we in Bahrain are capable of.
“She can do it. I believe that she can make it because she is so positive.”
The trip to Choyou will be Ms Abdulla’s first mountain ascent and will help acclimatise her to the harsh environment of the Himalayas.
Anyone interested in sponsoring the pair’s Everest adventure can contact Mr Al Qassab on 39685547 or by emailing adnan1961@gmail.com

Exclusive
By Rosamund De Sybel
editor@gulfweekly.com