Garduce scales all '7 Summits'

MANILA, Philippines - Romi Garduce is home, in one piece, after scaling the 16,067-foot Vinson Massif in the Antarctica.

The other night he faced the media to share his latest experience, and the rare feat of completing what is known in the world of mountaineering as the “Seven Summits.”

It’s regarded as one of the toughest challenge for a hard-core mountaineer, and it means conquering the highest mountains in all seven continents.

It took him 10 years to do it, starting off with Africa’s Kilimanjaro in 2002, South America’s Aconcagua in 2005, Asia’s Mt. Everest in 2006, Europe’s El Brus in 2007, North America’s McKinley or Denali Peak in 2008, and Australia’s Kosciuzko in 2008.

“Now it’s easier to talk about it because it’s done,” he said during the welcome dinner hosted by his prime backers, Primer Group, his official outfitter, and GMA-7, his official TV network.

Garduce set off for Vinson Massif two days before Christmas, landing in Punta Arenas, the southernmost city of Chile. A couple of days and two chartered flights later he found himself in the Antarctica, all bundled up and ready to go.

He raced forward to New Year’s Day and remembered celebrating the special day with his Filipino companion, Levi Nayahangan, and foreign guides, eating pizza and drinking coffee, under temperature of -32 degrees Celcius.

“Until it was summit day,” he said. “And it was the toughest day.”

Nayahangan was left behind at high camp, before the final push toward the summit, because of respiratory infection, and had to return to base camp.

At the presidential table, Garduce ribbed his friend, saying “He just couldn’t make it this time because he missed his girlfriend.”

Garduce and his foreign companions reached the summit on Jan. 5 at around 6:30 p.m. It took them nine hours to summit, and in a short video clip Garduce was seen gasping for air at the top.

“I was not joking before the camera,” said Garduce, reminding everyone that throughout the climb they each carried backpacks weighing more than 80 pounds.

“But this climb was generally peaceful because the weather was fine, with cold winds but nothing more. Unlike in my previous climbs, 70 to 80 percent were under bad weather,” said Garduce.

He was asked of his future plans, and Garduce said there’s only one thing in his mind.

“This year definitely I will rest. When things settle down then maybe I can think of new things. I still have a list in my hand and the South Pole is there. But it would take a long-term planning,” Garduce said.

“Once you’re done with the Seven Summits, there’s what they call the ‘Triad,’” he said, and it refers to the deadly combination of Mt. Everest, South Pole and North Pole.

“No Filipino has ever done the South Pole, which I think is more doable than the North Pole. And it doesn’t end there, because you still have the 14 highest mountains to climb for you to complete the Grand Slam. They’re all in the Himalayas and so far I’ve only completed two. I don’t think I can ever finish them all,” he said.