GUTTED; Stomach ulcer stops climber from conquering Mount Everest.

Byline: By Michael Christie 

A HOTEL manager's dream of climbing Everest was dashed when he fell ill with a stomach ulcer two days from the summit. Mostafa Mahmoud of Edinburgh had spent two months battling to conquer the world's highest peak.

But the leader of his expedition had to send him back down the 29,000ft peak when his health failed.

Doctors said the high altitude may have helped cause or worsen the ulcer.

Mostafa, 34, was hoping to climb the highest mountains on each of the world's continents by early 2006. But his bad luck on Everest has put his plan in jeopardy.

The Jordanian-born adventurer trained for years by running up Arthur's Seat and climbing in Nepal and Tibet.

He took a long-term break from his assistant manager's job at Edinburgh's Sheraton Grand Hotel to take on the 'seven summits challenge'. King Abdullah of Jordan gave him pounds 300,000 to fund the adventure. And this year, Mostafa completed a 17-day trek to the summit of Vinson Massif, the highest mountain in Antarctica.

Mostafa began his Everest mission on April 1 with 11 other climbers, six guides and 19 Sherpas.

Expedition leader Willi Prittie praised Mostafa's courage after the ulcer struck. In an email from a camp on Everest, Willi said: 'I decided the risk to his health was too great for him to remain at high altitude any longer.

'Not only is Mostafa a good climber and excellent team member, he is a wonderful human being and I feel privileged to now call him my friend.

'Mostafa, the mountain will always be here.Just make sure you will be too.'

Mostafa had hoped to scale Europe's highest mountain, Mount Elbrus in southern Russia, in September, followed by Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in October and Aconcagua in Argentina in December.

He will not be able to attempt Everest again until this time next year because melting snow makes the mountain too dangerous in summer.

Specialist Dr Andrew Williams, of St John's Hospital in Livingston, West Lothian, said: 'The stress of being at altitude could have caused an acute ulcer or an acute exacerbation of a pre-existing ulcer disease

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BLOW: Mostafa Mahmoud