Mt. Everest: Dangers lurk for Pinoy climbers

Along the borders of Nepal and China lies Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest peak, which the first Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition team will try to scale in 2007.

At 8,844 meters (29,000 feet), Mt. Everest towers over other mountain peaks, presenting the ultimate challenge to mountaineers and adventurers from all over.

Since its discovery in 1852, more than 800 people have conquered the Himalayan giant’s snow-capped summit. But unfortunately, out of this total figure, more than 100 have met their deaths on its massive, freezing slopes.

Also known by the Nepalese as Chomolangma or "Mother of the Universe," Mt. Everest has the planet’s most extreme, hostile weather conditions.

Blinding blizzards, called whiteouts, have been known to strike in a heartbeat, catching climbers off-guard and killing them in a freezing grasp. The extreme temperatures, which can plunge to -40 degrees Celsius, and the altitude push the body to its limits.

Any height beyond 14,000 feet makes climbers susceptible to altitude sickness, which causes vomiting, dizziness and diarrhea. Frostbite, and to a lesser degree, frostnip, have been known to take away climbers’ toes and fingers in the most painful manner.

Alongside the extreme weather, the landscape of Mt. Everest also poses a challenge for the mountaineers, who have to carefully navigate through unstable ice formations such as in the notoriously precarious Khumbu Ice Falls, and a slew of crevasses.

At around 17,000 feet, the human body will start to deteriorate as it literally consumes itself for energy. Muscle wasting and weight loss takes place. The thin oxygen also causes hallucination and impaired judgment. This process of deterioration takes place much more quickly as one ascends. So, at 26,000 feet, aptly called the "Death Zone," it is said climbers are virtually at death’s door.

All these conditions and pitfalls are precisely why the First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition has been training consistently in high altitude conditions around the world, preparing and acclimatizing for their all-Filipino Everest assault in 2007. The team boasts of 17 of the country’s best mountaineers and adventure athletes united to uplift the Pinoy spirit with an achievement parallel to an Olympic victory.

Recently, the FPMEE conquered Mt. Muztagh Ata in China-Pakistan, in a dramatic, summit bid. Two German climbers from a neighboring expedition died during a whiteout while the all-Pinoy team successfully planted the Philippine flag on the summit. By overcoming the odds, the team impressed other foreign climbers of Muztagh Ata.

Another climber who seeks to scale Mt. Everest is accomplished mountaineer Romy Garduce, who recently conquered Cho-oyu in Tibet.

Conquering Mt. Everest, however, is another matter. While many mount professional expeditions to bring pride to their country, some ill-prepared climbers attempt to scale Mt. Everest through commercial expeditions. This form of high-altitude tourism allows any climber to attempt to reach the summit of Mt. Everest and other mountain peaks for that matter, with just the right amount of cash.

Reinhold Messner, one of the most accomplished mountaineers of all time, cautioned against commercial expeditions in an article in Climbing magazine. "Ever since it has become possible to go into a travel agency and book a climb (to the Southeast ridge — often derided as the Yak Trail — or to see it on live TV) you might believe you can really buy this dream. But that is delusion, often enough with fatal consequences."

An example of high altitude tourism gone horribly wrong is documented in the movie, "Into Thin Air." In 1996, eight people died near the summit during a storm.

Among those who died were experienced climbers Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, both of them were leading the paid expeditions to the summit.

With all the treacherous variables on Mt. Everest, it is imperative that expedition team members can count on each other, upholding the highest values of mountaineering: respect for the mountain, cool-headedness, experience, and most importantly, team work. For it is only with these things that Filipinos can conquer Mt. Everest, and ultimately bring pride to the country.