By Mohd Afiq Zulkifli
PETALING JAYA, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- A tense moment gripped Malaysian climber Mohd Khafiz Bachok when the Sherpa accompanying him suddenly experienced numbness throughout his body while they were at Camp Four on Mount Everest, the death zone at an altitude of nearly 8,000 metres.
Camp Four is the final stop before an attempt to reach the world’s highest summit, making it one of the most challenging and dangerous locations due to extremely low oxygen levels.
Mohd Khafiz, 47, better known as Kicok, said he advised his guide, Saila Mingma, 26, to put his oxygen mask back on before they both closed their eyes to rest.
He said although the cause of the numbness could not be determined, the incident highlighted the importance of moral support and checking on one another’s condition throughout such an extreme climb.
“After he told me that his body was numb, I was worried and advised him to put his oxygen back on before we rested together. During a climb, he cannot climb alone, and I cannot climb alone either, so we really depend on each other,” he told Bernama after a special screening of the documentary TEKAD: Ekspedisi Guthrie Everest 2026 at a cinema in Subang Jaya recently.
Mohd Khafiz eventually succeeded in reaching the summit of Mount Everest on May 18, making him the 27th Malaysian to conquer the world’s highest peak, while for Saila, it marked his sixth successful ascent of the summit.
The close bond between the two forms the heart of the documentary directed by Ahmad Yazid, 42, who seeks to give viewers an insight into the extraordinary interdependence between climbers and Sherpas in ensuring the success of an expedition.
The trust between the two also extended to the task of documenting the journey from Everest Base Camp (EBC) to the summit, after Mohd Khafiz’s previous experience recording videos while climbing Mount K2 in Pakistan and Mount Manaslu in Nepal gave the producer confidence in his ability to film at high altitudes.
Ahmad Yazid said a scene showing Saila helping to cover and zip up Mohd Khafiz’s clothing hood while climbing, followed by the climber’s concern over Saila’s condition at Camp Four, demonstrated how both men looked out for each other.
“Many documentaries we watch focus on the pride of the climb itself, and we know that reaching the summit is indeed something to be proud of.
“But we know less about the relationship between a climber and his Sherpa in making that climb a success. They smile together, they laugh together, they get sick together, and that success depends on the two-way relationship between the two individuals making the climb,” he said.
To obtain footage of the journey to the summit, Ahmad Yazid and director of photography Marwan Murshid briefed the climber and Sherpa beforehand on the visuals required, while also giving reminders via radio without receiving live video feeds from the climbing route.
“I could only put my faith in him. Whether he pressed record or not, I wouldn’t know,” he said, explaining that preparations also included action cameras, a 360-degree camera, sufficient batteries and memory cards.
Ahmad Yazid, who has directed acclaimed documentaries including Al-Maunah: The Malaysian Arms Heist (2009) and The Murder of Canny Ong (2010), as well as produced content for Discovery Channel and National Geographic, said the main challenge faced by his team was dealing with extreme weather conditions at high altitudes.
“When we were around Crampon Point at an altitude of 5,400 metres to film the visuals, the temperature suddenly plunged to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius,” he said.
The documentary also follows the journey of Chew Wei Ngor, or Margaret, 56, who successfully reached Camp Four at an altitude of around 8,000 metres but was forced to abandon her summit attempt due to congestion along the route to the summit of Everest.
Produced by Rack Focus Films and Red Communications and supported by a production grant from the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) Content Fund, the 50-minute documentary will be aired exclusively on Astro Channel 100 tomorrow (Sept 13) at 8 pm, in conjunction with the National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations.
-- BERNAMA