Pinoy pride at 24,758 feet
Mount Everest Expedition raises Philippine flag on Mt. Muztagh Ata peak

The First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition (FPMEE) recently made history by being the first Filipinos to summit Mt. Muztagh-Ata in China-Pakistan. At 7,546 meters or 24,758 feet, it is the highest peak ever reached by Filipinos. This was despite hurricane-force winds, windchill and frost-bite.

The intrepid, all-Pinoy climbers who were flown by Philippine Airlines included team leader Regie Pablo, team physician Dr. Ted Esguerra, Leo Oracion, Karina Dayondon, Levi Nayangahan, Ariel Ambayec and Erwin "Pastour" Emata.

Pablo noted that there were other international expedition teams from Spain, Slovakia, Germany and Japan who were all set to stake their claim on Muztagh-Ata. "All of the other expedition teams were equipped with high tech equipment, including ones that gave them mountain weather updates. Each of their team members even had their own porters to carry their bags," recalled Pablo. "Since we had to save our resources, we decided to be self-reliant and carry our own bags." Moreover, unlike the other expedition teams who had at least a month to acclimatize to the mountain’s weather and altitude, the FPMEE team immediately set off to scale the mountain.

The climb itself was anything but manageable, even to experienced mountaineers. The deep crevasses are known to take victims every year; the howling winds blast at around 100-125 kph and have been known to blow climbers off mountains; the temperature can plummet down to -20 to -25° C; constant snowing was also a big detriment since it hampered visibility. "It was even more difficult for us since we were climbing at the tail end of the ideal climbing season when the weather is somewhat more cooperative," added Pablo.

The team was the last expedition team to arrive at base camp in Muztagh-Ata for 18 days from August 11 to 28, 2005. The team forged through the mountain’s snowy and rocky surface to reach camp 1 at 5,200 meters above sea level. A few days later, they made it to Camp 2 at 6,200 meters.

On August 25 at 6,800 meters on Camp 3, team leader Regie Pablo made an executive decision to send three of his most acclimatized climbers: Oracion, Emata and Dayondon to the summit.

The three climbed the remaining 800 meters to the summit with Oracion leading the pack and Emata and Dayondon trailing 100 meters behind. At 1:00 pm (Muztagh-Ata), Oracion was able to plant the Philippine flag proudly atop yet another mountain conquered by the expedition.

With the team’s objective successfully met, Oracion only had a few minutes at the summit when extremely harsh weather conditions forced him to leave and rendevzous with Emata and Dayondon who were just a few meters away. Although determined and still able to reach the summit, Emata and Dayondon heeded Oracion’s advice to begin their descent. "The team’s safety is always paramount. Knowing the dangers of the mountain, we all stick together to make sure everybody gets down safe," said Pablo. "The weather can change in a heartbeat and none of us would like to risk being in a whiteout."

Oracion reported coming across the bodies of two German climbers who apparently were able to summit three days earlier but got lost in a whiteout. A whiteout is a blinding, severely cold wind that can occur suddenly in high altitudes. "Good thing we had reliable thermal apparel, tents and sleeping bags from The North Face which kept us warm, especially at night," said Pablo.

Teamwork also played a major role in their climb. It has always been the FPMEE members’ instinct to look after each other’s safety. When the going got tough, the team always knew they could count on each other to ensure their physical and mental health.

In the end, inspite of minor physical injuries like frost nip (which are equivalent to first degree burns), the team victoriously reached Muztagh-Ata’s summit. Holding their heads up high, the team waved the Philippine flag on top of the mountain--a symbol of the Filipino’s pride and glory.

And, although the all-Filipino team seemed like underdogs compared to their much better equipped international counterparts, they were received with the respect and camaraderie that zealous mountain climbers afford one another.

In the mountain for a month, the team also struggled with loneliness and homesickness. "Good thing we were all on Globe Roaming so we were able to keep in touch with our families and keep our team mates and support groups back home updated on our progress as we neared Base Camp," said Dayondon.

"It was the first time for them to see Filipinos dare Muztagh-Ata. The Japanese were especially amused," said Dayondon, who also now owns the honor of being the first Pinay to reach such a great height. "They were so helpful they lent us their crampons and butane gas (for cooking)."

"Some foreigners were even amazed that a young, petite woman like Karina was brave and skilled enough to take on Muztagh Ata!" added Emata.

Up on the mountain, the expedition team relied on Filipino resourcefulness to survive, cooking their own food and melting ice for their own drinking water. "I guess this showed that Filipinos are used to toughing it out in times of dire need. We’re used to all the hardships that go with every challenge," Oracion mused.

"With all the life-threatening risks that the team faced successfully, this victory is one big proof of the First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition team’s formidability. We have once again proven: kaya talaga ng Pinoy!" Art Valdez, FPMEE expedition leader, enthused.

Valdez also extended the team’s gratitude for the support of its sponsors: Globe International Services, ABS CBN, Philippine Airlines, Stratworks, The North Face, The Philippine Accident Managers Insurance, MedCentral, National Sports Grill, Coleman, Fitness First, PowerUp, Rudy Project, Kodak and FedEx which all helped make this expedition possible.