Everest team conquers 4 Cordillera mountains

As part of their training for their 2007 trek to the world’s tallest mountain in Nepal, members of the first Philippine Mt. Everest expedition team recently conquered the Cordilleras’ four tallest and coldest mountains.

Former Transportation and Communications Secretary Arturo Valdez, who heads the 13-man expedition team, proudly reported that they successfully reached the top of Mounts Pulag, Tabayoc (Tadeo), Kapilagan and Calauitan.

Using sophisticated surveying equipment loaned by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (Namria), the team measured the actual elevations of the four mountains as well as three others in the Cordilleras.

The equipment included global positioning system using satellite technology.

The survey results: Mt. Pulag, 2,941 meters; Mt. Tabayoc (Tadeo), 2,860 meters; Mt. Kapilagan, 2,676 meters; and Mt. Calauitan, 2,681 meters.

These differed from the previously known elevations of the four mountains: 2,922 meters, 2,819 meters, 2,709 meters and 2,714 meters, respectively.

Valdez said their seven-day trek to the Cordillera mountains was aimed at acclimatizing them to cold mountain weather although he admitted this could not match that in the Himalayas.