By Pauline James
For Mohd Fakhrul Munir — better known as Loe — mountaineering is more than an extreme sport. It is passion, purpose, and the foundation of his entrepreneurial journey.
As the founder of Summit Attack Resources, Loe has led expeditions to Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp and Mount Kalapattar. He has successfully summited Malaysia’s G14 — the 14 highest mountains in the country — and even cycled solo across the entire Peninsular Malaysia.
But behind these achievements is a simple driving force: the love of sharing the journey.
From Passion to Purpose
Loe’s entrepreneurial story did not begin with a business plan. It began with passion.
“First of all, because of my passion, I love to do extreme sports like mountaineering, cycling, kayaking and many things. But I’m more interested in mountaineering,” he shared.
What started as a personal interest soon evolved into something bigger. He found joy not just in climbing, but in bringing others along.
“With the passion, I love to bring all my friends, my colleagues and whoever knows me to join me on the trip. I love to share my experience. I love to share the journey with my friends. And that’s why I started Summit Attack —because of my passion and my friends.”
Founded in 2016, Summit Attack Resources was born — not from spotting a gap in the market, but from a genuine desire to build a community around shared adventure.
Early Challenges: Building Trust One Climb at a Time
In the early days, the journey was far from easy.
“The most challenging for me is to create an event to go somewhere — a destination or some mountain which I’m not familiar with, the rare places. Then it becomes a challenge to me.”
Exploring unfamiliar terrain required meticulous planning and risk management. But another challenge was just as demanding: convincing people to commit.
“Mountaineering is quite an expensive course, and sometimes we need to sacrifice money, the time and many things. To get the participants is the challenge for me.”
In a niche industry where trust is everything, credibility cannot be claimed — it must be demonstrated. Participants are not just buying a travel package; they are placing their safety, time and money in the hands of the expedition leader.
Slowly but steadily, Loe earned that confidence.
“When I start Summit Attack Resources, it’s going very good because slowly, slowly, I can get trust from my friends and my participants… because of my experience, because of my knowledge, I shared everything to them.”
Satisfied participants became returning clients. Word spread. Even celebrities and well-known personalities began joining his expeditions.
“I can build trust with them. So for me, this is my responsibility to give my service better.”
And as that trust deepened, something else began to take shape — his identity not just as a climber, but as a leader.
From Climber to Leader
With every expedition, especially to demanding high-altitude destinations like Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp, Loe’s confidence evolved.
“How? Because after the trip, I satisfied,” he said. “I can see my participants satisfied with my service, and that makes me more confident. And I want to do better in another trip.”
Success was never just about reaching base camp. It was about ensuring everyone completed the journey safely, confidently and with a sense of achievement.
Each expedition became a lesson in responsibility, communication and decision-making under pressure.
“That’s improved me to do good, better and better and better.”
For Loe, leadership is not about standing alone at the summit. It is about preparation before the climb, clarity when uncertainty sets in, and steady decision-making when conditions shift and the pressure mounts.
Managing Uncertainty: Lessons from the Mountain
Mountains are unpredictable. Weather shifts without warning. Conditions change in minutes.
For Loe, this is where leadership becomes real.
He approaches uncertainty with preparation and transparency — principles he believes apply equally to business.
“First, I need to clarify or brief before the trip. I must explain in detail what we will face, what will happen if this, what will happen if that.”
Preparation, he emphasises, is not about eliminating risk. It is about ensuring everyone understands it.
“If the weather changes during the climb, I will manage the pros and cons. If we continue, what happens? If we turn back, what happens? I must make sure my participants understand why I make the decision.”
Clear communication builds trust. Whether on a mountain or in any high-pressure environment, teams perform best when they understand the situation and the direction ahead.
But preparation does not begin at the base of the mountain. It begins long before the climb.
Discipline, Health and Long-Term Success
Behind every steady decision in harsh conditions is discipline built over time.
Endurance sports demand physical conditioning, mental strength and consistent training — and Loe believes entrepreneurs can learn from the same mindset.
“If you want to do business, the health is very important,” he said. “We must continue and maintain our health. Many times, we must prepare with training.”
Preparation is not optional. It is continuous.
“We must make sure our body is ready and healthy. So we can do better in business.”
In his view, sustaining long-term performance — whether in mountaineering or entrepreneurship — is not about reacting in the moment. It is about building strength long before the pressure arrives.
Mount Kinabalu: A Training Ground for Greater Summits
Despite conquering some of the world’s most iconic trekking destinations, Mount Kinabalu holds a special place in Loe’s heart.
“We all know Mount Kinabalu is the highest in Malaysia,” he said. “For me, Kinabalu is a good mountain for beginners to explore, to study how mountaineering is going on.”
He describes it as both accessible and demanding — a perfect teacher.
“Kinabalu is the best to try and to gain more knowledge and experience. It’s not so hard — but it’s hard if we don’t have training.”
More importantly, he sees it as a stepping stone.
“If you want to go to another mountain, especially alpine mountains overseas like Nepal, Kinabalu is the best to try.”
To him, Kinabalu represents possibility.
“This mountain, everybody can summit — but we must train.”
Prepare and Enjoy the Journey
As Team Leader for the Malaysian SME Congress Mount Kinabalu expedition, Loe has a simple but powerful message for participants.
“Just ready and get prepared — mental and physical. Keep on training. And don’t think too much,” he said “Just get ready to achieve our dreams and just enjoy the journey.”
Because for Loe, the summit is important — but the growth happens on the way up.
And whether in business or on the mountain, success belongs to those who prepare, persevere and lead with heart.
