Calgary man ascends Iraq's highest peak

A Calgary man hiked up the tallest mountain in Iraq this week with his skis on his back for one extraordinary trip back down.

Adventurer Laval St. Germain is now skiing down Mount Cheekah Dar, a 3,600-metre peak in northeastern Iraq near the Iranian border.

CBC News reached St. Germain via cellphone near the summit of the mountain on Wednesday.

He said the trek has been particularly challenging because he has had to watch out for landmines.

"There are a lot of landmines around. I have to be very cautious sticking only to what appears to be a well-worn path. If I was in snow, I was okay. The snow is quite deep," he said.

"I sort of go boulder to boulder making sure that you don't stand on any ground that could have been dug up and a mine could have been buried inside. It keeps you focused that's for surethe landmine situation," he added.

St. Germain said his research indicates he could be the first to accomplish the feat.

Cheekah Dar is a little less than half the height of Mount Everest.

In 2010, St. Germain was the first Canadian to reach the summit of Everest without the aid of oxygen.