Mount Everest North Side 2003 Expedition
Zeddy!!! (part two)

  Final Thoughts

Well well well, Just back at home in the comfort of my sofa, playing with my four cats, reflecting on my successful back2everest expedition. Should I say it was the trip of a life time? or just one big memorable journey?  There are NO WORDS that could describe my feelings and I'm sure my team mates would agree with me.

It took me 52 days from the day we landed in Tibet, to the morning I reached the summit (it took some team members 61 days).  During this epic journey, I have experienced joy and sadness, failure and triumph, leisure & discomfort, health & illness, loneliness and comradely, but never the less this is the nature of long expeditions, especially Everest.  Our team was great, even though we argued a lot and disagreed on many things but it could happen to a loving family too.

Everest was grand and intimidating. During my last attempt 2 years ago, I suffered cerebral edema ( swelling of the brain ) at advanced base camp, it was almost fatal and all asked me to give up, I tried but could not.  In 1994 I broke my legs in a skiing accident,  my Doctor advised me to quit skiing and take up high altitude climbing instead.  It was at this point that Everest became my ambition and later my obsession, I was determined to climb Everest and nothing would have stopped me the moment I saw the Mighty E.

In short, I DID IT.

Finally,  I would like to thank many people, including; The  Ambassador of Kuwait in (Beijing) China, Gulfair (Kathmandu), Airlink (Dubai), Cubita Trading L.L.C. (Dubai), Kuwait Television, Dr. Marco Fedele of the Swiss Dental Clinic, Netage (Dubai) for keeping you posted, Ambition L.L.C (Geneva), Al-Hashmia R.E.(Switzerland) and the loyal staff of Crystal Plaza (Sharjah).

Special thanks goes to; Russell Brice for his care and leadership along with the superb team of Sherpas especially Sirdar Phurba Tashi, our Team Members for sharing over two months of their lives with me, Global Extreme for tail backing us all of the way, and last but not least my parents and family including Ali, Hammoud and Chiara for their ENDLESS SUPPORT.

I never cared to be the 1st Arab or Kuwaiti to stand on top of Everest, but I guess I was destined to be.

EVEREST WAS GOOD TO ME. Cheerio, Zed Al Refai

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