Mountaineers proud of Everest triumph

Mount Everesters return June 2014 • Video: Ray Attard

Sunburnt and back home with their families, the first group of Maltese mountaineers to ever summit Mount Everest from the North ridge had their fair share of doubts they would make it.

Basecamp was their home for 60 days and the climb to the Earth’s highest mountain left them mentally and physically exhausted; red tape from Chinese authorities had them wondering whether they would ever reach it.

Bodies from past expeditions are now a constant reminder of how the four mountaineers – Gregory Attard, Matthew Scerri, Douglas Barbaro Sant and Raphael Fenech Adami – are now back home. 

At age 26, Scerri is also the youngest Maltese to have ever successfully climbed Mt Everest.

“Everest 14 officially comes to an end now,” Gregory Attard said with a smile, after embracing his girlfriend and settling down to address the press.

For the 37-year-old doctor, the expedition was an unprecedented success: “We spent two months together… the mountain brings the best and worst out of you, but I have yet to see their worst. We worked together as a team. It doesn’t mean we didn’t have arguments or discussion… but it was the Maltese who finally reached the summit.”

As the leader of the expedition and the one who brought them together, making sure that all four retuned home safely was always on Attard’s mind. “Returning home all in one piece was the biggest success. It is also of great satisfaction that the Maltese flag is once again flying high on Mt Everest from a new route.”

Maltese mountaineers are gaining respect among the mountaineers community and people have slowly started to follow their progress.

Overall, this year’s season has been the most tragic. At least 13 Sherpa guides lost their lives in Mount Everest’s deadliest avalanche in April. There are few villages that provide Sherpa guides for the mountaineers’ expedition and the Maltese team could feel how the deaths of these 13 persons had affected the community.

“Every Sherpa guide lost a neighbour, a brother or a son. The atmosphere at base camp was low and will remain so for years to come. The problem is ice falls will persist because of global warming and the danger will increase,” Attard said.

Some 700 climbers who went through the south route had to go back without giving it a shot. To a certain point, the Maltese team deemed itself lucky to have chosen the North route.

Having lived together for over 60 days at temperatures that averaged -36°C with mobile communication proving to be an issue from time to time, the four admitted there were a lot of stories to be told.

They spent four nights in an area knows as the ‘dead zone’ – put simply altitudes above 8,000m. Their last oxygen cylinder – each weighing 4.2kg – ran out on the last day when they reached the mountain’s top at 8,848m. This meant they had to walk back without any supplementary oxygen.

“Climbing the Chinese ladder was nothing compared to the 20 hours we spent from the camp to the top and back,” the team said.

Fenech Adami explained that the first three weeks were spent at base camp waiting for a weather window. Frustration increased as they had to first wait for the Chinese Sherpa guides to fix the ladder before proceeding. Time was of the essence, and the longer they spent on the ground, the more they feared the weather could become worse.

“When we finally reached camp 3 we rested for five hours, geared up and left. In less than 20 hours we made to the top and back,” Fenech Adami said.

Weather played an important part and the four managed to take advantage of a very slim weather window before the monsoon hit. For 30 hours, the four were stuck in a tent they gate-crashed without any food or resources. The tent was at 7,800m.

“A mountain like Everest is never conquered. The bodies you see from past expeditions is a constant reminder that the four of us are back home safely,” Barbaro Sant.

“But there is also a feeling of national pride, seeing the Maltese flag flying high from a route which is harder.”

Conquering Mount Everest

At 8,848m above the ground, Mt Everest is the Earth’s highest amount located in the Himalayas mountain range on the border of Nepal and Tibet.

Winds can reach 175 miles per hours and summit temperatures average -36°C. At 8,000m and above, the area is commonly referred to as the ‘death zone’ - a height that humans struggle to survive at for more than a few days.

The team’s first destination was Kathmandu. There, the team made sure they had everything with them and their gear and food supplies were taken to the base camp. From Kathmandu, the team travelled by land to the Nepalese Tibetan border and gradually ascended to reach the Tibetan plateau. From there, they drove to base camp at 5,150m.

Advanced base camp was at 6,492m: the route follows the Rongbuk Glacier until it merges with the Eastern Rongbuk Glacier. This camp is on the northwestern side moraine of East Rongbuk Glacier, under the slopes of Changtse Mountain.

The North Col camp was a 500m climb from the advanced base camp. Climbers were clipped into the fixed rope and use their ascenders. Rappelling was used to descend this section.

The route to Camp 2 was pure snow but also rocky and is known for high winds. At this stage, the team start making use of supplemental oxygen.  Tents in this area are perched on rock ledges and are often pummelled with strong winds.

Camp 3 was setup on a 30 degree slope that allows only a few tents at 8300m. This is also the last shelter before the summit.