Mostafa Salameh

Mostafa Salameh, OSJ (born June 25, 1970) is a Jordanian mountaineer who has completed the Seven Summits, including Mount Everest in 2008.[1] Salameh is also a motivational speaker.

Mostafa Salameh

Mostafa Salameh completing the Seven Summits
Personal information
Born	(1970-06-25) June 25, 1970
Nationality	Jordanian
Career
Starting age	34
Notable ascents	Seven Summits and Two Poles

Biography

Salameh first became interested in mountaineering in 2004 while working as a food and beverage manager at the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. His interest started when he had a dream of himself praying on top of Mt. Everest. His first climb in the Himalaya was in April 2004, when he tried to climb Mera Peak (6,500 metres (21,300 ft)) in Nepal, but had to retreat just 200 metres (660 ft) from the top because of illness.[2] His ascent of Everest was finally made on May 25, 2008, Jordan Independence Day, after he had sold some of his possessions to fund the expedition.[3] He rang his parents and the King of Jordan via satellite phone from the peak.[3]

He completed the "Seven Summits" on November 16, 2012 and is now among the (as of 2012) 235 people in the world at the time to have stood on top of the highest peak on every continent.[4] He reached the North Pole on April 19, 2014.[5]

In 2008, Mostafa was awarded the Independence Medal by King Abdullah II of Jordan for his ascent of Everest.[6] His Royal Highness Ali Ibn Al Hussein and HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, the King’s brother and sister respectively, have also been major supporters.[2]

He reached South Pole on January 15, 2016.[7] He is now 1 of 16 people in the world who completed the Explorers Grand Slam.

Motivational speaking

Mostafa acts as a motivational speaker, addressing youths, corporate management and employees through direct comparisons between summit expeditions and daily life experiences. He focuses on themes such as team building, leadership, motivation and facing personal fears.[8] He names as his role models the philosopher Al Razi, the explorer Ibn Battuta, the philosopher, mathematician, physician and musician Al Kindi, the poet, jurist and theologian Rumi and the late King Hussein.[2] He had also come to Birla Public School in Doha, Qatar for a small speech as a part of a fund to aid relief in Gaza.

LH4 cancer initiative

The Jordanian expedition team at Mount Kilimanjaro

In 2012, Mostafa launched the "From the Lowest Point to the Highest Point for Cancer" initiative, where he led a group of 20 individuals to Everest Base Camp in Nepal in April 2013, raising $620,000 for the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), and again in February 2014, when he led another group of Jordanians to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania raising $1,400,000.00 for the benefit of the KHCC.[2][9]

Education

• B.A. International Hospitality & Tourism Management – Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh (2001)
• B.A. Hotel Management – Hotel Management College Amman (1992)[9]

Climbs

• June 2004 – Highest point in North America, Mount McKinley (20,320 ft) 6193.536 meter
• January 2005 – Highest point in Antarctica Vinson Massif (16,050 ft) 5140 Meter
• March 2005 – First attempt at Mount Everest (reached 23,000 ft); uncompleted due to stomach ulcer
• September 2005 – Highest point in Europe Mount Elbrus(18,510 ft) 5642 Meter
• July 2006 – Climbed the highest point in Western Europe Mont Blanc
• March 2007 – 2nd attempt at Mount Everest ... uncompleted due to chest infection
• July 2007 – Climbed the highest point in Africa Mount Kilimanjaro 19,331 feet, 5895 Meters
• February 2008 – Climbed the highest point in South America Aconcagua 22,841 feet, 6960 Meter[9]
• May 25, 2008 @ 6:50 am- Climbed the highest point in the world, Mount Everest 29,500) – Jordan Independence day
• November 16, 2012 – Climbed the highest point in the Australia/Oceana continent, Carstensz Pyramid, (4,884 meters / 16,023 feet)
• April 2013 – Everest Base Camp: Climbed to the Base Camp of Everest with a group of Jordanians for the support of the King Hussein Cancer Center (From the Lowest to the Highest for Cancer)
• February 2014 – Kilimanjaro Summit: Climbed the highest point in Africa (Kilimanjaro) with a team of 26 Jordanians for the support of the King Hussein Cancer Center (From the Lowest to the Highest for Cancer)
• April 19, 2014 – Reached the North Pole on a skiing trip[10]
• January 15, 2016 - Reached the South Pole [7]
• May 12 , 2018 - Crossed Greenland from North to South

Recognition

• Knighted by King Abdullah of Jordan (October 6, 2008)

Bibliography

He has authored the book, Dreams of a Refugee: From the Middle East to Mount Everest.

• Salameh, Mostafa (2016), Dreams of a Refugee: From the Middle East to Mount Everest, Bloomsbury Continuum, ISBN 978-1472927514

References

1. "Mount Everest Facts". Mount Everest The British Story. Archived from the original on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
2. "Onwards & Upwards" (PDF). the arab irish journal – Arab-Irish Chamber of Commerce. 2013. pp. 50–55.
3. "'I rang the King of Jordan from the top of Everest'". Irish Independent. 20 May 2011.
4. Muath Freij (31 January 2013). "Jordanian climber tackles Seven Summits". Jordan Times. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014.
5. "meet our 2014 north pole teams". Polar Explorers. 28 March 2014. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
6. "UPDATE: Climber Knighted By HM King Abdullah". 7iberDotCom. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
7. "Adopted Scot and First Muslim".
8. "Public Speaking". Mostafa Salameh. Archived from the original on 2013-10-30.
9. "About Us". Lowest to Highest for Cancer. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
10. "The Skiers Make Great Headway". Polar Explorers. 17 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.

External links

• Mostafa Salameh’s voyage from a refugee camp to the South Pole
• Jordanian mountaineer Mostafa Salameh inspires students
• Interview with Mostafa Salameh: Islam, Palestine, Peace and the South Pole