PH climbers ready for Mt. Everest bid

From left: Romi Garduce, Miguel Mapalad, and Jeno Panganiban during the Philippine 14 Peaks Expedition team’s sendoff on Thursday. – Denison Rey A. Dalupang/Philippine Daily Inquirer

For months, Jeno Panganiban and Miguel Mapalad of the Philippine 14 Peaks Expedition team had spoken of scaling Mount Everest and the world’s highest peaks.

Surrounded by family and friends in an official sendoff on Thursday afternoon at Delimondo Café in Makati City, the full weight of the pair’s mission finally had become undeniable.

Romi Garduce, the last Filipino to summit Everest, offered invaluable insights. In a poignant moment, Mapalad’s son, Kidlat, handed the pair a St. Benedict medal as a totem for the perilous adventure that lay ahead.

Miguel Mapalad’s Saint Benedict medallion for faith and protection given by his son Kidlat. – Denison Rey A. Dalupang/Philippine Daily Inquirer

What was once a distant dream is now a tangible reality for the two Filipino mountaineer.

“I know that Miguel and I are going to (make the) summit. I know,” Panganiban said in a press briefing, delivering each line slowly as if making an assurance.

“This is Everest, we know we’re facing tremendous pressure not to make mistakes. We have to be ready for everything,” added Mapalad.

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A veteran in the scene both here and overseas, Mapalad is set to fly for Nepal on Friday afternoon and begin his acclimatization. Panganiban is scheduled to follow his mentor on April 12.

Garduce, whose trek nearly over two decades ago was closely followed by major television networks, had one simple piece of advice for the pair, who will use Mt. Everest as their springboard to climb other peaks that stand over 8,000 meters.

“Just live in the moment and have fun,” he told the Inquirer. “It will be easy to be overwhelmed by a lot of things when you’re there—from anxiety to [people’s] inputs.”

“You worry about all these things and you’d miss enjoying the climb. Everest, after all, is so beautiful. You’ll need to take a pause,” added the pride of Bataan, who knows a thing or two soaking up the moment, having reached the summit himself May 19, 2006.