Meet the Three Moroccan Women Who Conquered Mount Kinabalu

Rabat- Leila Tazi Kandil, Latifa Jabri Chrouate, and Yasmina Sitail successfully raised the Moroccan flag on Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Malaysia at 4,101 meters (13,455 feet) above sea level, located in the state of Sabah, East Malaysia on the Island of Borneo.

The hiking enthusiasts were accompanied by three guides and three porters during their 48 hour climb.

“It took us 48 hours to reach the Kinabalu summit in two phases,” Yasmina Sitail told Morocco World News (MWN). “We could have added one night of acclimatization but we made the push the first night because we had foreseen rain.”

The three brave women persevered despite the numerous obstacles they faced during their trek. Sitail told MWN that “there were many difficulties to overcome, including injury and maintaining a strong will to reach the summit.”

“Being physically prepared is also equally important to avoid back or knee pain,” she stressed.

Three other Moroccan women, Zhor Kabbaj, Malika El Alami, and Yasmina Amor Trachen, were injured and were unable to complete the trek.

The Six Moroccan women who participated in Mount Kinabalu expedition

Sitail, Jabri, and Tazi Kandil persevered in the face of adversity during their climbing expedition and achieved the remarkable feat.

The trekking enthusiasts’ passion for exploration was sparked when they encountered Nacer Ben Abdeljalil, the first Moroccan to summit Mount Everest. The three Moroccan women while climbing mount Kinabalu

They were planning to climb Mount Kinabalu in April 2020; everything was paid for and planned, but the COVID-19 pandemic struck, forcing them to reschedule the trek and wait until Malaysian borders reopened.

The three mountaineers have previously climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (Africa’s highest peak), Everest Base Camp in Nepal, and Salkantay in Peru. They also took on Mount Toubkal in Morocco during the pandemic.

“With our coach Nacer Ben Abdeljalil, we have various options for 2023, especially adventure travel, trekking, and hiking —not necessarily climbing,” Sitail told MWN.

The hiker also named Costa Rica as a potential destination for 2023.

Mount Kinabalu is the third-highest peak to be found on an island, and 20th most prominent mountain in the world. The mountain is located in Kinabalu National Park, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 2000 for its “outstanding universal values’’ and its “role as one of the most significant biological sites in the world.’’