KOTA KINABALU: For Datuk Magendran M. Munisamy, age is just a number when it comes to scaling mountains.
"I don't know if 61 is considered old for climbing, but I'm still climbing," he said.
"I even have plans to tackle more mountains in Nepal and a few other countries next year," he added.
Magendran, the first Malaysian to reach the summit of Mount Everest back in 1997, arrived at Kota Kinabalu International Airport with an unwavering passion for mountaineering.
This trip marks his return to climb Mount Kinabalu, last summited by him in 2017.
Now retired from teaching as of last year, he's aiming to achieve a record 24th ascent of Low's Peak on Mount Kinabalu.
Accompanying him is a group of students from Sri KDU International School in Selangor, whom he's guiding up the iconic Malaysian peak.
"The purpose of bringing the students is to promote climbing as part of a healthier lifestyle," he said.
Magendran sees this as part of his broader mission.
"After my Everest expedition, I felt it was my social responsibility to introduce climbing and conservation programmes to as many Malaysians as possible, especially students, so they can experience and appreciate nature."
He's been dedicated to this goal since 1993, hoping to inspire a new generation of climbers and nature lovers.