After Mt. Apo conquest, Filipina mountaineer ‘Kaya’ targets Mt. Everest

Carla Kaya Tumaliuan eyes Mt. Everest conquest. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A local mountaineer is set to live up to her inspiring nickname.

Carla Kaya Tumaliuan, or simply Kaya, is eyeing to reach the world’s highest point, Mt. Everest, after she conquered the country’s peak of Mt. Apo.

Tumaliuan reached the top of Mt. Apo with a couple of friends and their guide, and with the country’s peak already in her pocket, it’s now the world’s topmost point that she wants to conquer.

“To be honest, it was the best climb and the best trail I ever had,” said Tumaliuan whose “Kaya” nickname has a rough English translation of “capable.” “I did not expect the trail to be that beautiful.”

Tumaliuan, a true blue nature lover, took the Energy Development Corporation’s (EDC) Executive Trail that passes through the EDC’s geothermal reservation en route to Apo’s peak.

“I really saw how EDC took care of the trail and preserved the nature there. I was in awe even of the tree nursery they have there,” said Tumaliuan. “I would love to climb again using the same trail.”

With Everest in her sights, admits that more than her physical preparation the monetary part of the journey is exponentially harder.

“Climbing Everest is every mountaineer’s dream, I’m not asking sponsors to just support me,” said Tumaliuan. “In sponsoring my Everest bet, I want to share my blessing by sending children to school and to complete their studies.”

“If I can make it to Everest, I hope these kids can feel like they can achieve anything.”