This 8-Year-Old Autistic Kid Conquers Three Mountains Across Indonesia

This is a guest post from Nizam Zambari.

Haqqu, an 8-year-old Malaysian boy, conquered three mountains all at once in Indonesia:

Mount Merbabu 15 August 2018
Mount Andong 17 August 2018
Mount Prau 18 August 2018

With temperatures going as low as 4℃ on Mount Merbabu, he has risen against all odds to triumph under such harsh conditions.

The pint-sized hiker caught the attention of other Indonesian hikers during the expedition. Before Haqqu could complete his hike on all three mountains (Merbabu, Andong, and Prau), he underwent a year of preparation and training. Alhamdulillah, he was able to achieve his goals of conquering the mountains.

DAY 1 – 15 August 2018 (Mount Merbabu)

The weather was perfect for hiking when we arrived at the Mount Merbabu base camp. Haqqu was excited at this point to begin hiking. This bountiful energy is what autistic children are blessed with, as they don’t let fatigue stop them from doing what they want. In fact, my wife and I were left far behind Haqqu at this point. Luckily, there was a guide who accompanied him all through the hiking and the resting. After about four to five hours of hiking, we arrived at Merbabu. It was cold!

The uncomfortable conditions here made it difficult for Haqqu to sleep until the next morning. Alhamdulillah, we made it down safely from Mount Merbabu and continued on to base camp in preparation to conquer Mount Andong.

 

DAY 2 – 17 August 2018 (Mount Andong)

After adequate preparation and rest, we pushed off to the Mount Andong base camp at 4am. Once done with all the documentation, Haqqu pushed on full steam ahead with his guide, leaving us in his trail. The track here is made up of steps, which proved to be tiring for Haqqu. On and off, we would hear his tired voice.

At 8am, we arrived at the peak of Mount Andong, along with thousands other Indonesian hikers. We knew it would be crowded, as the locals were celebrating their Independence Day that day. The experience of being there with over 3,000 Indonesians proudly celebrating their country on the peak of Mount Andong is definitely something to be remembered! Haqqu caught the attention of a lot of these hikers, being one of the youngest Malaysian hikers here.

DAY 4 – 18 August 2018 (Mount Prau)

The hike began at 8am in good weather from the town of Dieng. This mountain is among the local favourite for hiking. As usual, Haqqu would go on ahead with his friendly guide. With the cool weather and clear skies, Haqqu once again completes his hike which brings a total of three conquered mountains on this trip. Just like on Mount Merbabu, the chilly conditions at night made it incredibly difficult to sleep. Fortunately, our preparation before the hike made it a bit easier for us to fall asleep this time around!

For reference, my son Aqiel Haqqu was born normal, just like others and without any complications during birth. When he was three and a half, he was diagnosed with Mild Autism.

Every child has their own strengths. We didn’t feel any shortcomings Haqqu may have would stop him from being an awesome human being. If we focus on the negatives, we would never realise the potential that they have.

That is why it’s important to identify your child’s biggest strengths and to help them hone their best talents. At the same time, avoid making comparisons between your child and other children.

You know what’s best for your child, which may not be the same thing as other children. For Haqqu, hiking is one of the best forms of exercise and therapy and at the same time, it gives our whole family the precious experience of enjoying God’s beautiful natural creations together. Reading is another great activity for him in terms of instilling discipline and building up his ability to pay attention to each important instruction given during a hike.

A big thank you as well to friends as well as guides on the trip who took good care of Haqqu throughout our journey, even though his speech can be difficult to understand at times.

My advice: Never feel like you can’t take that leap with your special child out of your comfort zone. It’s incredibly rewarding!

We set our minds to achieving this, and it was our determination that fueled our ability to conquer this extraordinary challenge for us.

For families with autistic children like Haqqu, they should never have to feel sad or ashamed to face the society. They should feel proud with this blessed gift from Allah SWT because it takes special parents to bring up special children.

Want to share your story and journey? Email me at [email protected]!