Three Filipinas may be Southeast Asia’s first women on top of Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.
Noelle Wenceslao, Carina Dayondon, and Janet Belarmino reached Everest’s peak via the more treacherous north col or north face on the Tibet, China side and got to the top early in the morning, Tibet time.
First to reach the top was Wenceslao, followed by Dayondon and then Belarmino. ABS-CBN correspondent Vince Rodriguez said Wenceslao sounded like an “overjoyed kid” when she radioed him about the feat. Everest is more than 29,000 feet high.
Other Filipinos who were fellow members of the three in the disbanded First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition (FPMEE), led by former transportation undersecretary Art Valdez, are also in Nepal to provide support for the trio. The three women belong to the Kaya ng Pinay Everest team.
The three are said to be planning to take a different route – the south face – on their way down.
It was not known if the trio managed to reach the top ahead of an Indonesian female mountaineer. The three wanted to set a record as the first Southeast Asian females to reach the Everest summit.
Last year, three Filipinos – two from FPMEE – raced to reach the peak of the highest mountain.
The FPMEE’s Heracleo “Leo” Oracion and Erwin “Pastor” Emata reached the Everest summit on May 17 and 18, respectively, climbing through the south col.
A solo Filipino climber, Romy Garduce, followed the FPMEE duo to the top on May 19 via the south col.
But Dale Abenojar, a 44-year-old adventure sportsman, claimed to have been the first Filipino to reach the summit via the north col. He showed a certificate from the China-Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA) to prove his claim that he reached the peak at around 10 a.m. of May 15.
FPMEE said Abenojar’s certificate was bogus and even questioned the credibility of the CTMA as a certifying body.
Last month, FPMEE’s Dr. Ted Esguerra said that they had gathered statements from Abenojar’s sherpas that he had not reached the Everest summit.