Romeo Garduce, the first Filipino to attempt to climb Mt. Everest
After climbing such daunting peaks as Mts. Elbrus, Aconcagua and Cho Oyu, Filipino mountaineer Romeo Garduce, also known as "Romi" or "Garduch" to his friends, has set out to conquer the most challenging of them all, Mt. Everest.
Garduce first came to The North Face's attention in 2004, when he approached the company to sponsor his climb to Mt. Elbrus in Russia. It was, as they say, a match made in heaven. After Mt. Elbrus, Garduce went on to scale Mt. Aconcagua in South America, making him the First Filipino to reach the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere. After this feat came his climb of Cho Oyu in Nepal, which he undertook as a fundraiser to help indigenous children. Now, he is facing his greatest challenge yet - the scaling of Mt. Everest.
It all started as a joke. Every mountaineer wants to reach the summit of the highest peak in the world, to get as closest to the heavens as possible with one's feet still on the ground, but very few of them expect to actually undertake the journey. Garduce was no exception. Climbing Mt. Everest was something he talked about with his friends as something he wanted to achieve at some point in his climbing career. Still, nobody, least of all Garduce himself, expected to be able to push through with his Everest plans so soon.
"Once Romi reached the 800,000 meter barrier in Cho Oyu, we knew he was ready," Roel Chan, The North Face Philippines brand manager said.
Garduce is also backed by the public; and the media as well. His ascent is being documented by GMA Network., the country's number one television station. The network has sent a hand-picked team (whose clothes and equipment were also sponsored by The North Face) to the Mt. Everest Base Camp to report on Garduce's progress. If he succeeds, Romi Garduce will be the First Filipino to climb Mt. Everest.
Garduce departed from Manila for Nepal on March 3, 2006. He reached the Everest Base Camp, 17,600 feet above sea level, on April 4, having spent time acclimatizing in Namche (11,482 ft), Phakding (apporx. 8,203 ft) and Lukhla (approx. 9,186 ft).
Reaching Base Camp is not an easy feat, but this is just the first step, as Garduce has a ways to go before reaching Everest's summit. His other stops are Camp I or Advanced Base Camp at19,900 ft; Camp II at 23,000 ft and Camp III at 24,000 ft.
Garduce is currently preparing to navigate the Khumbu Ice Fall, the most dangerous part of his climb. He hopes to be able to pass through it by mid-April. If all goes according to schedule, he'll be reaching Everest's 29,035 foot summit in late May.
For Garduce, climbing Mt. Everest is not something that is done out of a desire for recognition or fame. He takes great pains to point out that climbing Everest isn't a race. It's a sacred thing that stands between "him and the mountain."
"Garduce is not the strongest climber nor is he the fastest, but he has a lot of heart. He's very dedicated," Chan said.
To a country filled with troubles that range from terrorism to poverty to political instability, Garduce has become a symbol of hope that anything can happen if one puts his mind to it. What started as a dream of every local mountaineer has become a goal shared by an entire nation.
"Everest is just the start," Chan said. "The North Face is dedicated to give all its resources to make it happen."
It's about time the Philippines put its flag on top of Mt. Everest, and Romi Garduce is more than up to taking on that challenge.