Instant Celebrities

I had followed the Mt. Everest exploits of Heracleo "Leo" Oracion and Erwin "Pastour" Emata with great (well, fanatical at one point) interest, scouring for updates from the papers, television to the Internet.

Though I'm thankful for the blow-by-blow coverage, I still believe that the war raging between TV networks that heavily backed the two and Romi Garduce as well was responsible for making it appear as a race. Many people were seriously concerned that the network war would place an unwarranted measure of pressure on the climbers and feared that this might force them to drive too hard at their lifelong aspiration, which could, as a consequence, end up in disaster. Lives after all were at stake here-and not the ratings. But thank God nothing terrible happened to them-and all climbers, even one whose claims remain in question, have in fact returned home as instant celebrities.

Yes, celebrities-if you go by the number of people requesting for Leo and Pastour's autographs and pictures during their sort of second homecoming bash organized by Habagat and Danao City councilor Boying Rodriguez at Tequila Joe's in Ayala Center Cebu last Saturday night. Everybody wanted to have a piece of them and their stories, from politicians, media, diners to even female fans-as they say, it's 29,028 pogi points more for these "Everest-ers."

Despite being one of the very few non-climbers at the event, I share the pride of their fellow mountaineers, as we sat spellbound by the video clips and photos that captured the novelty and complexity of their trip to the tallest peak in the world, made more inspiring with Rico Blanco's voice blaring Alab ng puso, kailan ma'y hindi sumuko, taguuummpaaaay! in the background.

I've always wondered over the video clip of Leo's summit-incredulous actually over why the number one adventure racer in the country was gasping for breath like it was his first-ever climb! He explained last Saturday that he really felt wasted and that the last 50 meters to the summit was the longest walk he has ever made in his entire life, as he ran short on oxygen with his regulator leaking and his mask broken.

The tall and lean resident of Mandaue shared that he initially wanted to rest some more at the summit, but because they arrived late in the afternoon, and with the weather so unstable around this time, his sherpa insisted that they hastened down to Camp 4. True enough, bad weather caught up with two Koreans trailing behind them. They perished. Leo acknowledged that he was really able to reach Mt. Everest and come home safely because of the prayers of Filipinos back home and his own steely determination.

He also thanked Pastour for willingly giving way for him to attack the summit first. The First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition (FPMEE) team leader Art Valdez revealed that some foreign climbers even joked how FPMEE would tackle Mt. Everest, knowing people would make a big deal out of who really made it first to the top. "Would they hold hands?" they were asked. Finally, Pastour gave in because he felt that Leo was in better condition than him.

If Leo was the self-confessed serious type, the now clean-shaven Pastour was the exact opposite, providing comical flavor with his detailed storytelling. He shared that when he found himself only a few meters away from the summit, he choked with emotion and began to cry. But he realized soon after that it was useless because his tears would freeze up. And as for Pastour's first few words to Valdez upon his summit? "Sir, I have arrived at the summit. It's very cold here," the Davaoeño quipped.

Pastour, as you may all know now, was nicknamed as such because of his religiosity. Trivia: while undertaking rescue operations at Mt. Sumagaya, tje crash site of the ill-fated Flight 387, they could not land the helicopter they were riding in because the fog was so thick. A co-rescuer asked Pastour to pray over the clouds, and after two minutes they parted, making their descent finally possible. This prompted the military to react: "Pastor gyud diay ni siya."

Capping the night was a performance from the reggae band Jr. Kilat. Its frontman, Budoy, stole the limelight-as usual. Before playing tracks from his album, "Buwad Suka Sili," he declared to the public, "Ako sad gikapoy ko sa akong climb kay nakuwangan ko ug oxygen pag-gikan nako sa camp Camputhaw!"

After thanking his "sherpa" (AKA bandmates), he continued, "Pasalamat na unta ko kay naka-summit ko, pero false summit man diay Busay Hills ra man diay."

Now you know why Budoy's making his own ascent to the top of the entertainment biz.