Five climbers from the Lions Club of Port Dickson Pantai who accompanied Malaysia's oldest climber, James Lee Chong Meng, in his conquest of Mount Everest have returned home safely yesterday.

The climbers, Eugene Kwan Jyh Sin, 48; Chong Nyuk Kooi, 49; Jack Oh Jin Jeng, 32; Berdych Tan Teck Chai, 32; and Teng Hee Wen, 48, left with Lee for Kathmandu on April 1.

The team, which accompanied Lee up to Everest Base Camp, arrived at the KL International Airport in Sepang on flight MH171 from Kathmandu at 7.49pm.

Relating their climb up to the Base Camp, located 5,380 metres above sea level, Eugene Kwan said the expedition was very challenging as it was the first time for the five of them to climb a mountain outside the country.

"The greatest challenge was on our stamina and leg strength as the climb was 65km up and 60km down, especially with the snowfall on the first day we moved down from Base Camp," Kwan told Bernama.

The returning party was met upon arrival at KLIA by Lions Club of Port Dickson Pantai adviser Dr L Krishnan.

Bernama is the media partner of Lee's mission to conquer the highest mountain in the world which also received support from the federal and Negeri Sembilan governments as well as several other sponsors.

In the first expedition in May last year, Lee was forced to cancel the final ascent to the peak of Mount Everest after reaching Camp III at a height of 7,200 metres, due to bad weather.

- Bernama