Two Filipinos, Elaine Jhon Panganiban and Miguel Angelo Mapalad, successfully reached the summit of Mt. Everest at an altitude of 8,848.86 meters this Sunday (Manila time). They are part of the Seven Summit Treks expedition team.
They were followed by Rhisael "Ric" Rabe, the first Filipino to summit in nearly two decades. According to a post by Seven Summit Treks, both are members of the Philippine 14 Peaks Expedition Team.
They were accompanied on the climb by Sherpas Dawa Nurbu Sherpa and Danuru Sherpa to help them with the extreme challenges of the mountain.
Despite the success, there is also news that a Filipino climber, Philipp Santiago, 45 years old, passed away while preparing for the climb. He became exhausted upon reaching the final camp, Camp 4.
Nepal is home to 8 of the world's 10 highest mountains, so many climbers visit it during the spring when it's warmer and windier. Last year, more than 800 climbers reached the summit of Mt. Everest, including 74 from the Tibetan side.
