British mountaineer ‘confident’ ahead of scaling world’s 14 highest mountains

A British-Bangladeshi mountaineer aiming to climb the 14 highest peaks in the world has said he is feeling “confident” and ready to face Mount Everest for a second time as he raises money for charity.

Akke Rahman, 41, told the PA news agency he is starting the challenge by beginning the climb up Mount Everest this month, having become the first British Muslim to climb the world’s highest mountain in 2022.

He said: “I’m ready to face it. I’m doing it for humanity and I’m helping people.

Akke Rahman became the first British Muslim to climb the world’s highest mountain in 2022 (Akke Rahman/PA)

“Last time I did it, I did it in 21 days, which was pretty much half the expected time, so I’m hoping some of that experience will get me through this.”

The 14 mountains he will be climbing are all over 8,000 metres tall and he expects to complete his mission around September 2025.

He will be taking on the challenge in four phases, with the first phase comprising Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga.

The mountaineer, based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, said: “I feel confident. I’m going to go there, give it my best shot, and I’m going to take them one by one and that’s probably the best way to do it.

“Everything is pretty much done in terms of logistics so I just need to get myself in that zone where I can just go there and do what I do best.”

Akke Rahman will be taking on the challenge in four phases (Akke Rahman/PA)

K2, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma are among the other mountains Mr Rahman will be climbing.

On preparing for the challenge, he said: “The thing is, we don’t have high altitude mountains in the UK, so I can’t really go and get myself acclimated, so what I do is just fitness, I run five or six times a week, and I go to the gym and I do some light workouts just to build my strength.”

He will be documenting his journey on his Instagram, @akke_rahman.

He started out in climbing by scaling Mount Snowdon in Wales in 2019, vowing that if he enjoyed it he would go on to tackle Elbrus, Europe’s tallest mountain, in Russia.

In 2020, Mr Rahman climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc within a week and later that year, he broke the UK record for climbing Elbrus after reaching the summit in less than 24 hours.

Mr Rahman said: “I took up mountaineering just to inspire my children and show them that you can do more than just average and you can do great things.

“I just wanted to be an inspiration to them and at least they can say, ‘my dad was this and I aspire to be something like this or something better’.

“That’s where it all started and then it just sort of spiralled out of control.”

Akke Rahman expects to complete his mission around September 2025 (Akke Rahman/PA)

As a brand ambassador for UK Islamic Mission, Mr Rahman will be raising money for the charity to help communities in Bangladesh, the UK and elsewhere.

He is motivated to inspire other people to get fit while raising money for causes close to his heart.

He said: “Mountaineering is my passion but my fuel is helping people.

“I’m doing my best for humanity to try and help as many people as I can.

“I want everyone to join hands and help the needy, not just further afield but in the UK as well.”

To donate to Mr Rahman’s fundraiser, visit justgiving.com/page/ukimbd.