Cho Oyu and Beyond ...

Cho Oyu climb for a cause is an awareness and fund-raising campaign aimed to help provide much needed education to our often neglected indigenous children in the remote parts of the country. The climb objective is to set a new altitude record, an attempt of the 6th highest mt & one of the peaks in the death zone. This event intends to bridge the education gap, and hope we provide our indigenous children a better future -- safe and away from a possible 'death zone'.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Interview Tidbits

Recent post-Cho Oyu article: SPORTS DIGEST nov05 issue
- I found it amusing, the writer samut-sari'd the news articles and made a 'new' write-up (w/o interview 'to ha). But it occupied 1 whole page for my pix, and 1 whole page for the article, so I guess I shd be grateful for the exposure(?).

Coming up:
-Asian Spirit inflight magz, probably to help the passengers feel high, while they're flying high =)

- Planet Phils are not selling their publication here.
Some Q's are interesting so I'll post some of them below:

-----------------
Hi Sir,

Here's some questions I'd like to ask for our feature
article about you and your accomplishments. Thanks for
taking the time.

How would you describe your overall feelings on
scaling Mt. Cho Oyu? Was it any different from scaling
Mt. Aconcagua, Mt. Kilimajaro and Mt. Elbrus?


"It was humbling. 8000m peaks like Cho Oyu is of a different level, I felt like Aconcagua (my 2nd most difficult) is now a child's peak that I can run up and down. I got sick during the climb, my teammates got all sorts of problems (frostbite, being delirious and hyphoxic, etc...) - so we know how tough the mountain is...
I also felt lucky, w/ 10% probability (based on summit-vs-attempt statistics), it seemed hard to believe that I made it on top, and made it fast (shorter time). The weather was perfect, a big critical factor. It could be a different story if we're bombarded w/ very strong winds and heavy snowfall."

Do you consider it your most significant
achievement thus far?

"In the area of sports, yes. This is the first Filipino climb of a mountain above the "Death Zone" layer. Only 14 peaks are above the death zone, and ticking one of it is an achievement for all of us, showing in the international arena-- that we can climb serious mountains. Other nationalities are happy for us, when they heard of the news - while I was still on site. This is a serious feat in the mountaineering realm."

What are thoughts of setting the record for highest
altitude scaled by a Filipino?


"Temporary triumph. It's like openning one new door. Then you'll feel that it's never enough, you'll realize later that there's more to do. More mountains, more adventures, more records. we're way behind vs other countries... We need more athletes, in different adventure sports, be it Big Wall climbing, 500km adventure race, circumnavigation, polar expedition, etc.."

Have you officially decided on whether to scale Mt.
Everest yet?


"Thinking mode, it's of a different scale. But it's been 52 years since it was first climbed, somebody has to try soon, fast. Masyado na tayong delayed. We need to put our mark on that peak, I'll decide maybe by January - ie, if I can convince myself, and if I can get enough fund :)"

What preparations do you feel would you have to
work on?

"Support structure, I can't do this alone unlike the previous mountains. Physically? not much when you're living in low altitude, but of course - need to continue with endurance sports."

You climb "for" certain charities - such as the
indigent patients of PGH and the Cartwheel Foundation.
How does that work? How do they receive funding from
yoru achievements?


"I get donations thru my network, and some strangers. Some just give donations. Others pledged. Ex of pledge is x amount if i reach d peak, or x amount for every 1000ft altitude gained. The climb is anticipated to be a newsmaker because of the '1st' record (or highest record), so it's a tool for campaign for certain things, hoping that strangers and supporters will lend a helping hand to these foundations/beneficiaries."

Are you affiliated or connected with any major
mountaineering groups, like the Philippine Mt. Everest
Team? If not them, why not? Is there a competition?


"I'm only affiliated with UPMountaineers. I have a full-time job so I can't join other aspiring teams. Mountaineering is not a project for me anyway, it's just something I do. It just so happen that I'm doing it 'progressively' hence the recent altitude records. There's no competition, I believe there's a common goal, although my goal is actually broader. ex. 7 summits (it includes Everest, and a lot more), Desert crossing, or even south pole exp."


What would be your message, if any, to Pinoys all
over the world that have come to be familiar and
admire your accomplishments?

" "Take it to the next level!" would be a summary line. Whatever you do, esp if you're into sports, invest time/money/life in breaking whatever boundary we have today. If you're a sailor, try to circumnavigate the ocean, if you're a rock climber - don't just climb montalban, do big walls abroad, if you're a strong adventure racer, don't be contended w/ winning local races, join 500km 10-day races abroad, etc.. If you're not into these, simply help and support! Be one with us. Whatever accomplishment one Filipino makes, will be a shared feat and a morale-boost for all of us."

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home