By: Nurul Fazliana Norman
KOTA KINABALU: Sept 12, 2026 – Sabah climber Jack Arrey successfully set foot on the summit of Khusargang in Pakistan in a seven-day expedition, thus realising his wish to bring Sabah culture to the international stage.
Jack, who is also Randawi Tavantang Kaamatan (RTK) and a third-place winner in 2024 representing Labuan, said the expedition was part of an 18-day journey involving eight climbers from Malaysia, including two from Sabah.
He said when they arrived at the location, the group was told by the local community that they were the first Malaysian climbers to reach the area.
“When we got there, the community organising there told us that we were the first Malaysians to come here. So we were really excited,” he said when met at Studio TV Sabah yesterday.
Of the eight climbers, only three managed to reach the summit, including Jack and another climber from Melaka, while another Sabah climber had to stop his climb after facing problems with footwear unsuitable for the icy surface.
Jack said among the main challenges during the climb were rapidly changing weather, lack of oxygen and limited facilities.
“At that time I felt like giving up, but I tried to persevere. I did not want to give up at all because in my life, I have never given up,” he said.
More interestingly, the success also became a platform for Jack to realise his manifesto when taking part in RTK, which was to promote Sabah culture through tourism.
He brought traditional Sabah attire borrowed from his acquaintance, Adrian, to wear at the summit of Khusargang, thus introducing Sabah’s cultural identity to the outside world.
“If there is no other way, we do it this way. We do it by dressing up at the summit of Khusargang to promote it,” he said.
For new climbers, Jack advised them to build experience gradually by starting with lower climbs before challenging mountains at higher altitudes.
“Make sure you start from the bottom. There is no shortcut to the top,” he said.
After his successful conquest of Khusargang, Jack now plans to join a climb up Mount Fuji in Japan next August with about 30 participants who will wear traditional attire.
Jack also plans to set a Malaysian record, but has so far chosen to keep the details secret.
