Two Filipinos will try their luck at climbing the world’s highest peak as the Philippines sends its first pair of mountaineers up Mt. Everest for the first time since 2007.
Jeno Panganiban and Miguel Mapalad, both part of the Philippine 14 Peaks Expedition Team, will face their hardest challenge yet, hopeful to etch their names into the history books as the select Filipinos to reach Everest’s summit.
A good 18 years since the troika of Noelle Wenceslao, Janet Belarmino, and Carina Dayondon reached the summit as the first Filipinas to scale Mt. Everest, Panganiban and Mapalad will try to further the list of Filipinos to conquer the world’s highest mountain.
Realizing the need to re-establish Filipinos among the international climbing community, Panganiban said it was high time to once again prove the country’s skills in mountaineering.
“Since last year, Miguel and I have been climbing peaks na sa Himalayas, and summiting those peaks gave us the boost,” Panganiban told One Sports in an exclusive interview.
“It gave us the confidence para masabi na, okay, it’s time na. Panahon na para may Pilipino ulit na makapag-summit ng Mt. Everest, na patunayan sa buong mundo na kayang makipagsabayan ng mga Pilipino,” Panganinban added.
The 29-year-old has previously summited Mt. Manaslu, Mera Peak, Amphu Laptsa Pass, Island Peak, and Lobuche East, all while also managing a fruits and vegetables business in Pasig City.
But Panganiban won’t be alone in the two-month expedition as he is joined by Mapalad, who has since turned into his mentor and good friend.
At 42, Mapalad is the founder of Yabag Mountaineering and has conquered summits such as Ama Dablam, Kilimanjaro, Island Peak, Lobuche Peak, and Kazbek Glacier.
“Since then, naghanap na ako talaga ng team na makakasama ko for my alpine adventures. Yung mountaineering kasi, it will take time, sobrang tagal ng mga expeditions, at siyempre, gastos,” said Mapalad.
“Nakita ko si Jeno, may potential siya na, uy okay to ah, parang masarap to kasama kasi may sariling oras, tapos nakapag Himalayas na rin. So, sabi ko, baka mag-click kami rito, and may makasama na ako sa Everest.”
Panganiban and Mapalad will be scaling Mt. Everest from the Nepal side, which is known as the “South Col” route.
The mountaineering duo have been training for the harsh environment expected to welcome them in Mt. Everest. Despite uncertainties when it comes to the mountain’s dangers and just sheer acts of nature, Mapalad is confident that they are able to equip themselves adequately.
“Yung pag-kakaron ng avalanche, bad weather, yun yung medyo mahirap talaga maiwasan yung mga delikadong part ng pag-akyat ng matataas na bundok. Pero ngayon, medyo high-tech na ngayon, so predictable na yung mga act of nature,” said Mapalad.
“Plus, may mga strategies na rin kami para diyan. Physically, yung high altitude, matagal na kami na-expose sa mga mataas na bundok. So, confident kami [na malalampasan namin yung] challenges, yung physical challenges,” he added.
Of course, it’s not just the physical dangers of Mt. Everest that have been pushing back against Panganiban and Mapalad.
They have been working hard as well to address the financial aspect of making such a trek, as costs of scaling Mt. Everest averages to highs of more than P9 million.
“It's our most challenging hurdle, and napaka… ito yung pinaka-ine-effortan talaga namin. So, yun yung financial aspect, sobrang hirap talaga,” admitted Panganiban.
Thankfully for the duo, the whole mountaineering community is supportive of their push, as they also aim to give pride to the Philippines through their efforts.
Understanding that this isn’t just the effort of two people, both Panganiban and Mapalad underscored the roles of the people behind the scenes.
“Mahirap talaga mag-isa [sa climb] kasi malayo sa pamilya, tsaka madalas walang signal. So we're just alone with our thoughts, yung anxieties namin,” said Pangilinan.
“Pero given the support na binibigay ng aming friends, family, loved ones, yung whole mountaineering community na sinasabi na nandito lang kami sa likod nyo, sobrang nakaka-boost ng confidence namin. Mas napu-push pa kami in times of pain, in times of struggle. Nabibigyan kami ng lakas.”
“Words of encouragement, yun yung nagbibigay sa amin talaga. Nagtutulak sa amin pataas kahit sobrang hirap. Ito yung iniisip namin, yung supporta ng community,” added Mapalad.
Thinking about the message they want to send out with their quest, both Panganiban and Mapalad agree that they want to inspire the next generation, or even the current generation, of Filipino climbers to reach for their dreams.
That, no matter where you come from, you can always dream of doing great things.
“I think ang goal namin talaga ng Miguel is to inspire Filipinos na okay, kinaya nila, bakit hindi din kami. Sobrang matutuwa kami na mayroong mag-aim na makakakyat din,” said Panganiban.
“Kagaya namin simpleng tao lang, we can do great things,” quipped Mapalad.
Ahead of their biggest and most treacherous challenge yet, both climbers also reflected on the legacy they want to leave behind when they finally reach – quite literally – the mountaintop in their respective climbing careers.
For Pangilinan, it’s about achieving something that he never thought possible.
“Para sa akin, ang gusto kong maalala ng mga tao sa akin is I just kept on climbing and eventually umabot na ako sa highest peaks. Hindi ko naman pinangarap before na akyat lang ako ng akyat ng mga bundok sa Pilipinas, met a lot of people at naging open lang ako sa learnings ko. Eventually, nandito na,” he said.
Mapalad, for his part, hopes to inspire people that through hard work, anything is possible.
“Akala ko nung una hindi ako aabot sa ganitong level, hanggang dito lang ako sa mataas na bundok sa Pilipinas. Pero yun nga, yung pangarap mo talaga, pursue mo yung pangarap mo, mag-training ka lang mabuti,” said Mapalad.
The two climbers are slated to leave for Nepal in the next coming days. Updates of their climb can be found on their social media pages at the Philippine 14 Peaks Expedition Team.