Cho Oyu and Beyond ...

The Big One

2006-03-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

Join the cause, and be a part of this big leap in our history...

Today, there are hundreds of thousands of poor and struggling families all over our country;
children who do not have opportunities to enter primary school,
poor indigent patients who cannot afford to pay for their medical expenses,
kids who are malnourished and suffering from serious illnesses,
families who are victims of calamities,
and a million more who are simply ignored, neglected and uncared for.

Here's a call for us to live a life of shared wealth and success,
Together, we can make a big difference in uplifting the lives of our struggling countrymen.

JOIN ME in this campaign, as I CLIMB the highest point on Earth...

Help, donate or pledge now, and be part of "MT EVEREST CLIMB FOR A CAUSE 2006"...
The future is ours to make!

- Romi Garduch

Visit: http://everest2006pinoy.blogspot.com/

Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

2006-03-02T04:18:00.000-08:00

Feb2006. The Calm Before the Storm...

Cho Oyu climb story

2006-01-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

Read the climb story, The Ascent of Cho Oyu

Going Green

2005-12-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

WWF-Powerswitch and Greenpeace are asking for help in their campaign.
Check this out.

Donation

2005-12-26T22:40:00.000-08:00

Wow!
I just received today a cash donation of 10,000php! =)

Thank you very much to Ms. Marion T. for her generous contribution to Climb for a Cause 2005. Mabuhay ka!

I'll be formally concluding this project by end-Jan, but of course we'll still accept donations even after that.

Happy New Year to all!

Conrad Anker will visit Manila this January

2005-12-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

(message from The North Face)
We would like to announce the upcoming visit of The North Face
athlete Conrad Anker in the Philippines on January 24, 2006 at
Rockwell, Makati. Conrad will be presenting a slide show about his
expeditions including the story of his discovery on the body of
George Mallory at Mt. Everest.

Conrad will also be having a book signing session for his book "The
Lost Explorer - Finding Mallory on Mount Everest" which will be
exclusively sold at The North Face store starting January for 650.00
pesos.

The final venue is still yet to be announced. However, if the
venue will be limited to a certain number of audience we would like
to extend this early invitation to the members of the outdoor
community. If you are interested to join please do register thru
email at tnf@primergrp.com or fax us at 2446578. (First Come, First
Serve, Please indicate Full Name, Affiliation and Contact Detail) We
shall also be accepting book reservations on which you can pay and
claim at TNF store on January, as there is a limited quantity
available also.

Conrad Anker
"The Lost Explorer" presentation and book signing
Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City
January 24, 2006
3:00 - 6:00 PM

PS. Conrad Anker is the cover page of December 2005 Outside
Magazine issue on 25 outdoor action hero. You may want to get a
copy of that also.

2005-12-18T22:20:00.000-08:00

Pasko na!! =)

Where are they now?

2005-12-15T23:02:00.000-08:00

Our climb teams come and go, they are formed and disbanded, but we always reconnect.
Sometimes, former teammates regroup for another adventure, some become climbing partners and friends. Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became best buddies, and so are other climbers.
And so we try to stay in touch to keep the intangible aspects of the team. Besides, there's a lot to learn and experience when we walk across other cultures.

So, where are my former team mates now?
pake ko, hahaha.

___________________

Magnus' response after seeing my Cho Oyu photo album.. Magnus is the Swede, who summit-ed Aconcagua with me.
"Thank you very much for sharing the pics. My stomach almost turned upside
down, I want to be there right now. Can't wait. Cho Oyu is still in my plans for 2007. I want to go to Denali 2006 but I think I will get problem with the money. Just found a job in England but everything is so expensive so it's difficult to save anything here.
stay in touch.
/Magnus"
____________________

Cho Oyu 2005 team: Mike (South Africa), Dirk (Germany), Pete (Australia)

Mike's first report from his hometown (3wks after the climb). He's the 3rd S.African to hv climbed Cho Oyu. He's now traveling in Thailand with his wife.
"Once again,congratulation to each of you on yr successful summit-its, sometimes hard to comprehend how the whole tedious process suddenly accelerated into a frantic push and before we knew it,it was all behind us!

The frostbite in my fingers is slowly improving but the big toe of my L foot and 3 toes of my R foot are still completely frozen- I've been for another medical opinion and the prognosis is good.
Keep well.
Mike"
__________________

Dirk's reply after I asked him w/c 8000m peak he plans to visit next. He is the strongest member of our team, and he's going for more difficult mountains. He is an ice climber and a climb instructor in d Alps.

"Nice to hear from you. I am not sure which one I am going for (Dhaulagiri or Lhotse). We will see, because it´s a question of money and of course if I can get vacation or not. But I really want.
Let me know when you are in Khatmandu. I will be there.
See you Dirk"
(Note: Lhotse, 4th highest, is the twin-brother-peak of Everest, they share the same south route until Camp3, but it's all-hell to Lhotse peak from there on).
__________________

Pete after giving his (post-climb) speech to 700 people. He climbed Cho Oyu for a Cause, supporting 'Beyond Blue' foundation - it's an awareness campaign on depression illness now common in Australia. He's the 20th Australian to hv climbed Cho Oyu.

"G'day mate!! Great to hear from you. Ok, I will get the One shot DVD to you. Hey mate, I gave that speech last night and you got quite a few mentions, particularly your feat at being the first ever in the Philippines to climb above 8000 and summit. Everyone was pretty blown away.
Talk soon,
Pete"
His girlfriend booked a Hawaii trip for the 2 of them next summer, conflicting with his floating plan to climb Everest. Hawaii vs Everest.. ummm he's a surfer-dude so i guess it's easy to decide :)
(Note: 'One Shot' is the name we gave to our expedition team, since we have the lazy attitude of just going up (one shot) without too much up-&-down acclimatization). We finished ahead vs other teams. It's also the favorite expression of our Sirdar-Sherpa; applicable to climbing, to drinking liquor, etc.)
_________________

Fenton (Irish) of Elbrus Expedition team, after hearing the good news of my Cho Oyu climb. We were in Aconcagua the same season, but his route proved to be more challenging due to relentless storms (his team aborted). He summit-ed Elbrus, but got stuck w/ his 7000m peak goal (Acon).

Well done! Great news. We are off to Aconcagua again in Jan with Andy that was on Elbrus with us. hopefully the mountain will be kind to us. If that works ok then Mc Kinley in May.
What was the top like on Aconcagua was the last section difficult? Any info you can give us will be a help
Regards
Fenton

Too bad though that I've lost contact with my other, long-ago expedition group mates ;(

2005-12-08T01:12:00.000-08:00

Need greeting cards for Christmas? Buy cards from Cartwheel, and help the IP community prosper. Check out Carthweel website on how to order online. You can also do away with the more expensive gift card-tags, use Cartwheel cards instead.

Interview Tidbits

2005-12-07T01:03:00.000-08:00

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."

Experience Nepal part II

2005-11-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

As promised, we will have an 'open climb' next summer (March or April) for anyone who wishes to experience the beauty of Nepal Himalaya. I may or may not have a Big climb, but for sure, this trip will push thru..

Last post-monsoon (Aug2005), we have a tiny group of 5 Filipinos (including me), who trekked and climbed around Langtang valley.
You may view this site to find out what this Langtang trip is all about.

You may also visit the websites of the 2 Langtang members -- John and Ching; they put up a blog-site documenting their Nepal experiences :)

So what's for 2006?
(revised Dec6)
"Experience Nepal" part 2
Dates: March (or April) 2006
Location: Khumbu, Nepal
Number of Days: ~17 on-site.

Trip Options

Highlights: magnificent views of Mt. Everest; exhilarating feeling of standing on top of a 20,000ft snow-capped mountain; experience the culture of the remote villages in Nepal - see the local people, the yaks, Buddhist temples, and a lot more.

A. Trek-only (2 batches, ~20 days apart).
Here’s your chance to see the beauty of the Himalaya. We’ll be trekking in remote villages, and will stay overnight in “tea-houses” (mini-hostels). It’s a good venue to mingle with the locals – see their way of life and experience the culture.
The trek offers superb views of the great Himalayan mountains, including the magnificent south-face of Mt. Everest.

B. Trek and Climb.
Several 6000m peaks are in the vicinity of the trekking route. This is a good chance to try summit-ing a significantly high altitude alpine peak. Whether you’re the serious mountaineer-type who wishes to bring his experience to another level, or a fit-enough enthusiast who wants a top-of-the-world experience – this climb will definitely suit your need.
The plan is to spend 1-2 days near the basecamp of the target mountain, and do a basic training on alpine mountaineering. This will include practice of using crampons and ice-axe, rope-works, glaciology 101, etc. Then the highlight of course is a summit attempt of a 6000m mountain (~20,000ft). This sounds high, but it’s actually classified as a ‘Trekking peak’ (beginners have climbed this before).

Trek and Climb sub-groups will trek together, but the climb group will be off the teahouse route for ~6 days (for the actual climb). The 2 sub-groups will re-join after the climb.

Note: Trek-only participants can likewise spend their time with the climbing group, this will offer a unique opportunity to camp near the mountain, or even explore the nearby glaciers.

Fitness Requirement
TREK-ONLY. If you can comfortably walk for 6-7 hours a day (slow-to-moderate), then you'll be fine. I would recommend a long-walk exercise prior to this trip, maybe 4-6hours with 10kg pack (flat or up-hill is fine) - longer or heavier is better. Do 3 or 4 weekend routines before the scheduled trip, rest on the last week (or last 2 weeks) prior to your flight date.

TREK AND CLIMB. This, of course, would require better level of stamina than Trek-only, especially since we’re expecting walks on snow/ice in a high altitude environment. Practice climbing a hill with a 20kg or heavier pack; or do a flat-walk of 6-7hrs w/ the same load. Avoid going downhill with a heavy pack to save your knees. Better kick out the yosi-habit for a few weeks prior to the big climb, if you’re the heavy type – lose weight. If you’re the lean-type, gain some weight (you’ll lose some kg for sure).

Interested?
Send me an email at ph_climbforacause@yahoo.com
I'll regularly post updates regarding this trip.

2005-11-17T23:29:00.000-08:00

My Cho Oyu climbing team. ltr: Romi (Phils), Phura (Nepal), Mike (S.Afr), & Pete (Australian). The German took the shot. CHECK OUT THE UPDATED PHOTO ALBUM (see Links, right hand-side)

Bulletin Board

2005-11-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

(entry added , with 'NOV14' under Media)
Upcoming Activities / Events / News:

- The ever-bitin Photo exhibit is postponed to December (mall schedule problem, o well). This is an extension of the charity campaign (cartwheel photos), plus a photo exhibit of the climb (Cho Oyu).
- We're thinking of selling Calendar-postcard (see previous post) as part of the on-going fund-raising campaign. We're still not quite happy with the generated fund so we have to do something extra ;)
- Gimmick (with live bands) - for a Cause parin, now postponed to Feb (haay tagal).
- Funny, I got an email today which says that I am receiving a Merit Badge award. Check this out
http://www.mbcenter.org/downloads/certs.php?tp=C&nm=20051107_03

Media / Articles / Stories

- Ey hey, Chinggay A. will interview me (live) this coming Sat, RX radio, 3pm. (postponed to next Sat, nov19)
- Magazine interviews: People (Asia), PUMP (yeebaaa! might as well send my nude pics), Planet Philippines (abroad)
- (NOV14) Check out this write-up from Cartwheel http://cartwheelarticle1.blogspot.com/

Blog updates

- I have moved the Cho Oyu photo url to 'Links' section (right-hand side)

- I've changed the Blog title to "Cho Oyu and Beyond", until I switch to a new Blog site for the next 'project' .

Climb Updates

I'll be organizing an 'open climb' next year for anyone who wishes to try a good trek in Nepal or, experience an alpine climb (20,000ft mountain). Beginners or advanced mountaineers (climb), or office-slaves (trek) are all welcome to join in. Maybe around April or March. Email me if you're interested (ph_climbforacause@yahoo.com). I'll switch to a different Blog site to cover these next scheduled climbs.

2005-11-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

Souvenir postcard-calendar 2006. It's an idea to extend fund-raising by selling this types, but with a picture of me in there... nah - may not sell at all.. haha!�

2005-11-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

Post-climb in TNF rockwell shop, mid-Oct05. Cartwheel giving Romi a plaque (read: "where's the charity money, Romi?!") hahaha

Photos (part1)

2005-10-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

Check out part1 of the expedition photos.
I still don't have copies of MY own photos hehe, except these.
(photo url-link is now under 'Links' section, right side of this Blog page - Nov08).

By the way, we might have a photo exhibit (with Cartwheel) either next week
or the week after that. Venue is probably Shangrila Mall and/or Rockwell (probably near The North Face shops). I'll keep you posted.

I'll share more photos the week of Nov 2.
More news links:
(Manila Bulletin)
http://www.mb.com.ph/SPRT2005101746995.html

(Manila Standard)
http://www.manilastandardonline.com:8080/mnlastd/iserver?page=sports01_oct11_2005

Cheers!

Updates

2005-10-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Some news posts regarding the recent climb:

(sep29)
http://www.yehey.com/sports/full_article.aspx?id=60969
OR, http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=sports01_sept29_2005
oct6
http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=52491

I'm still writing the story-article, pictures are with my sponsor - The North Face,
I think they're planning to have some sort of exhibit(?), I'll post a few pix when
I get a copy of My pictures =) haven't seen 'em except for the summit pix.. naunahan ako..

I'll try to blog-post again end of this week..
Huh, Party? ipon muna ko pera hehe
Cheers!
Romi

The Next 600 Meters

2005-10-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Why I climbed Cho Oyu

http://theroadtoeverest2004.blogspot.com/

(Cho Oyu Sep-2005 climb, 8201m)
"... I was walking the last few meters of the summit plateau, towards the
real summit, towards East, and then there it was, looming in the distance -- the greatest mountain of all - Everest (8848m). The summit of Cho Oyu seems to be just a doorstep, and standing on its top, I was hypnotized by the sight of the mountain next to it, it's bigger, it's higher - and it made me wonder, how it's like to climb the next 600 meters -- how it's like to climb... the top of mt Everest..."

Hello from Kathmandu

2005-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Kathmandu Nepal

Hello again, and thank you for the congratulatory notes & birthday greetings (I celebrated in ABC w/ the yaks, no beer and sisig unfortunately).

We just got back in KTM last night after 2 days of fast walk from ABC, down to Chinese basecamp, then a fast jeep ride to Tingri (Tibet) then over the China-Nepal border in Zangmu then finally KTM , now on recovery and healing mode -- we all looked like POWs or soldiers who just got back from war =) the injuries, the burns, malnourished bodies, etc... ;)

Anyway, you probably have heard the good news, but definitely not the story behind it. I'll post my article later (w/ pix)..

Truth is, all of us almost didn't make the summit, or almost aborted the climb for different reasons, but as a pleasant turn out of events, we all did (all of us in our subteam), eventually made it on top. My Australian teammate got AMS in Abc (on arrival), and almost went back down (just like the few we saw) for good, then again on our summit night his toes were frozen numb and was only luckily rubbed back to life after 20 minutes (Thank God it was 'restored' back to normal). The South African was on delirious state almost the entire summit night-day (we started 1am). I was climbing w/ him for 8 hours and he doesn't have recollection of it, there was even 1 incident when his right crampon was detached from his boot, while climbing the yellow band (vertical ice and rock section), then I tried to help and grabbed and clipped his anchor line (attached to his harness) to my ascender (we were then hanging together in a rope). He vaguely recalls the incident, and he definitely can't remember me being there. But he struggled on to summit on that state (alone the last hour), and he made it - he's now recuperating from semi-frostbite problem with his toes.

As for me, I got sick several times, first in Chinese basecamp, then again after our first carry-up trip to Camp1 (21,000ft). Out of expected 6hrs, it took me 10hrs to reach C1 (first acclimatization trip), then I got sick the day after. I was sick-recovering for 3 days in ABC after this and almost aborted the climb (as recovery at almost 19,000 ft is not easy). If I was just climbing on my own, I would have aborted (hope you can imagine how hard it was when your ill and vomiting and AMSd and just too weak to go on). But since I've attached a purpose to this climb, plus the fact that friends and people expect and hope something from this climb, there was that strong will to recuperate and go on. Kakahiya naman sa indigenous people, instead of giving them hope e baka kapalpakan pa makita nila. In a way, I simply borrowed strength from friends and colleagues and the IPs who have wished me up there. So Thanks!

After recovery, my team decided to climb semi-alpine style. Instead of doing several ups and downs (knowing we were all getting weaker each up-&-down), we went up (2^nd and last time), to C1 then C2 then C3 and straight to summit without too much elaborate climb-up-and-down. It was a dangerous approach as we could easily have gotten Edema, but we risked anyway, and in the end we all made it. Other teams were surprised by our bold method, pababa na kami, paakyat pa lang sila. O well, iba kami e hahaha!

Anyway, it was a super tough climb (making Aconcagua a child's peak climb) but all our hirap was all worth it. The entire Nepalese crew and all my teammates are happy for all of us, Filipinos, to finally have set a record of climbing our first 8000m peak. It's a clear mark that we can tackle extreme mountaineering, that we can go beyond our known limits. This is a very good start, and an opening for us - to try to achieve something greater in the near future.

Teka muna, kayo ba tumawag na sa Cartwheel, saying naman ung climb kung walang epek sa cause hehehe.

I'll post an article on Monday on why I climb Cho Oyu. Also I'll try to post a photo-link of the Cho Oyu summit climb.

All for now,

Ciao!

Romi Garduch

Cho Oyu Summit

2005-09-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

Sept 28 - New altitude record set last September 26, 10:30 AM Nepal time.
Romi Garduce summits the top of Mt Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain. This
record gives the title to the first Filipino to reach an 8000m peak (also
known as the 'death zone').

More update to come in 3 to 4 days when Romi is back in Kathmandu. He 's
still in ABC (advanced base camp) as of this writing.

Thursday, Sept 15

2005-09-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Short update from ABC

Sept 15 - Romi and his team are on their 3rd day in ABC, Advanced Basecamp
is almost at 19000 ft. Bad weather for the past 3 days is so far the only
flaw in an otherwise perfect picture, as the whole team is feeling fine. In
a few more days the guys will start with the carry-up of gear to Camp 1.
This is a tedious task as this needs several up and down climbs from ABC to
Camp 1. Though tiring, this is a good way to acclimatize. Garduch estimates
they will push for the summit in 12-15 days. He hopes to give another
update(thru satfon) before the big day.

Writing for Romi
Jaidee

Dispatch from Nayalam, Tibet (email)

2005-09-05T03:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick update:

----------------------

Aug31 - got back in KTM after a short climbing trip in Langtang.

   Still raining a lot, it rained when we were in Langtang, in Kathmandu, and later on in Tibet, at least up to Nayalam - where i am writing this).

Sep1-2 - last minute shopping. Tried to fix last minute gear problems, my crampons wdn't fit my size 12 plastic boots, and so I have to make some slight reconfiguration on it. It will be a hell if that thing detach itself from my boots every now and then (recalling the my unpleasant times in Caucasus Russia). I decided not to buy Shell pants anymore, hopefully the North Face Downsuit (parang pang astronaut na gear) will be ok from C2 and up, even if the temp dips to -40C (incl wind chill) during the trek.

Sep3 - Ride to Tibet (China) - Nepal border, then on to Zhangmu (6hrs).

It was a welcome change of food environment, now we got to eat real chinese chow, and away from the monotonous nepali-indian cuisine.

I was imagining to see a flat Tibetan plateau, but instead, the border, Zhangmu and the next 2 towns are smuck in the middle of mountainous area, reminding me of places like Banawe or Sagada.

Sep4 - we continued our trip to Nayalam (2hrs?). But we have to stay here for 2 nights due to its altitude (3800m/12,600ft). We walk a bit after arrival, the South African felt the sudden change of altitude and complained of sleeplessness(?) and minor headache. But he was fine.

Our team is composed of 5, 3 of us (Australian, South African, and myself) will do it together, with our Sherpa crew, the German - who's making his 2nd attempt of Cho Oyu, decided to do it semi-solo (he'll be on his own after Advanced Basecamp or ABC), and the Japanese has to rush it w/ his Sherpa after ABC, to climb another 8000m peak (Shishapangma, also in Tibet). The Jap is already 61yrs old, but strong as a yak.   We did a short acclimatization climb today, and he and the German guy just zoomed up the mountain with relative ease.

Sep5 - still stuck in Nayalam, we'll move to the last town tomorrow - to Tingri. Then it will be full-on outdoors from then on.

We did another acclimatization climb to about +4300m today with a pathetic packed lunch of boiled eggs and chapati. But good to have tried a Tibetan stew after our march, sarrap... It was also good to witness 2 huge vultures flying and circling us overhead (for more than 10mins) while we were trekking, probably checking if we'll fall down and die, they must be hungry hahaha.

So far we only saw 4 expedition teams for Cho Oyu this season (including our team), another team might arrive tomorrow and we'll probably meet them in the basecamp. It wd be boring if there are very few people in this huge mountain, and probably more difficult as breaking trails (on heavy snow) and fixing ropes are difficult tasks for only 1 team.

Here's our rough schedule ahead:

Sep6-7 - Tingri (4300m)

Sep8-10 - Chinese basecamp (4700m)

   we'll haul our gears and supplies from here using Yaks up to ABC.

Sep 11 - we might move to intermediate BC, or straight to ABC, depending on our health conditions.

Sep 11-13 - ABC (19,000ft)

     Advanced basecamp is actually our real basecamp. The chinese basecamp is too far out for real action on the mountain.

Sep14 - 20s

     Acclimatization and carry-up (of gears/supplies) to higher camps, this is a boring and tiring and dangerous up and down move from ABC to highcamps (1 and 2), then back to ABC.

Sep20-Oct1

     If all is well, (health ok, weather ok) we'll move to highcamp3 (~7400m/24,000ft) and do a summit assault from there.

   Umm, the summit day could actually be my birthday- on sep29. ;)

   If I reach the summit, that would be a real treat =)

Oct wk1

   Going back from ABC, back to chinese basecamp, then onwards up to Kathmandu. Let's hope i'll bring home some good news.

------

Unfortunately, my team do not have sat-PC, so i won't be able to do email. hopefully the sat-fon in ABC is working properly for regular updates. I'll try to give update before we move to C1 (from ABC), and maybe before we move up to C3 (for the summit assault). And hopefully another update call after the climb. I'll be doing satfon calls only in ABC (if that thing even works ;)

So that's it for now, until my next update.

Romi (by email)

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Hello from Nepal

2005-08-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hello, just got back to Kathmandu.

I did a short acclimatization trek/climb with 4 other Filipinos in Langtang province, all were now back safe in Kathmandu, and they will soon leave for Manila. 3 of us attempted to climb Yala Peak (5500m/18400ft), and we're happy to share that 2 of us made it to the summit of Yala Peak. I was with another UPMountaineer, his first taste of alpine mountaineering. Unfortunately, the 3rd member got sick in basecamp (mild AMS) and wasn't able to join us in the attempt. Aug28 8:30am, Romi Garduch and Jonjon "LA" Villareal made it to the top of Yala peak, it might be the first filipino cilmb of that peak (but so what haha).
I'm still in kathmandu and will leave for Tibet Sep3, to tackle the primary trip objective - - Cho Oyu. My sub-group (total 14 split by 'kitchen sub-group') has only 4 members, me included. 1 Australian, 1 S.African, and i think 1 German -- very diversed/mixed group.

So far, everything seems to be ok. No worry setting in yet for the big climb ahead :)
maybe because the memory of our interesting Yala climb is still fresh on my mind... that last 5 minutes of rock scrambling on the slippery and unstable knife-ridge of the summit of Yala (w/o safety ropes), with 1000m vertical fall potential on both sides of the ridge; those leaps of faith over several crevasses (again w/out ropes hehe); and few tricky rock climbing moves over unstable rock formations - what else could I ask for in a climbing adventure hehe..

I am hoping my team will get a Sat-fon so I can do regular updates. The next 2 weeks will be our acclimatization stage, until we reach our Advanced Basecamp (ABC) at around 19,000ft. Then 3rd or 4th week of September (weather-permitting) we'll be at the high camps ready for the Summit bid. Worst case, my next update will be Oct9 (when we get back in Kathmandu).

So wish us luck, and don't forget to pledge or donate for Cartwheel ;)
Cheers!
Romi

2005-08-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

Aug17. Guesting at NewsCentral Studio23. Making 'bola' to Trisha, but I guess it didn't work ;( hahaha.

2005-08-16T02:04:00.000-07:00

Climb for a Cause Logo

Bulletin Board

2005-08-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

'NEW' Check out the Climb for a Cause Website: http://www.mydestiny.net/~cartwheel/climb.html

(Note: if you are a first-time visitor of this event-blog, it might help if you start from the bottom, start with the previous posts. Scroll down now...)
- What this climb is all about, check out previous post - 'Breaking the Barrier'
- How to donate or make a pledge for Cartwheel Foundation, check out the previous post - 'Letter'

Climb for a Cause Event News
(Aug12) - Watch NewsCentral (studio23) live interview on Wednesday Aug17 10pm.

The mall exhibit, which will feature photos of our indigenous folks, is postponed to either last week of August, or first week of September. I'll be in the hills by then.
We've started with our PRs.
Check out: Business World newspaper (Aug11 'Bulletin' Section), upmountaineers.org.ph. (more to come).

Donate Today
We're now accepting donations. Contact Noemi or Romi, or any of our representatives thru cartwheelinc@pacific.net.ph or cartwheelinc@yahoo.com or ph_climbforacause@yahoo.com.
Or drop by our exhibit to hand-over your donations (we’ll post the exact dates later).
Cartwheel will be issuing acknowledgement receipts for donations above 500php (I believe for tax deduction purposes, or - probably just a souvenir hehe).
"Ey, we just got our first checque today (Jul7) of 4,000p! Keep 'em coming..."

(as of Aug9) Total outright donations to-date: 13,250p ; Total pledge: 9,250p
Total potential to-date: 22,500 p (100% of collected amount goes to Cartwheel)
Let’s bring this number up to make this program significant. You’re small contribution would mean a lot.

What’s new in this site
- (Aug3) I've created a new page on "Climbing Cho Oyu", check this out: http://climbingchooyu.blogspot.com/
- (July18) I’ve created a new link “News, Events, Etc” for any miscellaneous items not directly relevant to this event. This will include climbing news of other Pinoy teams, tsismis, party events, and others…
Check out the (bottom) article related to the question on an Everest attempt.
- (Aug8) New post in this link: "Training Escapades"

2005-08-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

Cartwheel heads North. Representatives of Carthweel foundation visiting The North Face shop in Rockwell. (frtl: Alwin, Rojean, Noemi, Garduch).

2005-07-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

Tala-Andig school girls. We're campaigning for them and other indigenous kids. Let's try to give them a brighter tomorrow.. (photo courtesy of Cartwheel)

Experience Nepal

2005-06-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

Have you always wondered how it's like to hike or climb in the Himalaya?!
How Yaks really look like, what's a Sherpa, and what Nepal is all about?

Here's your chance...
The first part of my Cho Oyu trip involves a short acclimatization trek (10days) in Nepal,
this is an ideal trip for beginners, and I'm inviting you to join me to
see the beauty of the Himalaya.

You want to know more details, or get a glimpse of Nepal?
View this site: http://experiencenepal2005.blogspot.com/

Garduch

2005-06-07T00:12:00.000-07:00

(teaser)

Letter

2005-06-02T23:59:00.000-07:00

Hi People,

As you know, I will try to set a new altitude record, and climb the 6th highest mountain in the world, to generate cash for Cartwheel foundation. This is just a continuation of my Climb for a Cause series.

The proceeds raised by this event will support the education assistance program of Cartwheel Foundation. Please visit their website to understand how they utilize their charity fund to help our indigenous children (see sidebar link).

About the climb, Mt Cho Oyu is the 6th highest mountain and is in the Death zone layer. There’s no recorded Filipino ascent of this magnitude, and I’m hoping that I could break the highest recorded Filipino ascent and bring our mountaineering to, yet again, a higher level. Note that the probability of reaching the summit is a lot less compared to Aconcagua (which by the way has ~33% chance, I failed the first time there if you recall). We’re hoping that thru this climb, we’ll get your support thru pledges and donations, and help us meet our charitable objectives.

Your pledge of support will also add a good dose of morale support for the climber (me), and hence is a big help to the overall outcome of the project.

How to help? here’s how:
· You may give an outright donation, any amount will do. Promise, kahit 1 peso lang, well, 10$ nlang siguro para may silbi ka naman ;p We prefer you make direct donations to Cartwheel (bka mapang-inom ko pa yan e :) checque (pay to Cartwheel Foundation) or credit card use are your other options.

· Or, pledge an amount for every 1000ft of altitude gained. Let’s start counting at 10,000ft (mahirap ng huminga dun), to 27000ft (rounded). So if you promise to give us 100pesos/1000ft, you’ll give us 1700pesos if I reached the peak. In essence, you’re asking me to walk extra thousand feet, so you can give more money, more like a torture-pledge. 'Kaw kaya mglakad sa -50C na bundok na 40% lang ung air. Fine, I’ll accept that. You can monitor my climb progress in this site, so you’ll know whether to beg your wife/husband/mom for more money (as I reach higher camps). Assuming of course that my team’s sat-fon will not have dead-frozen-batt.

· You may pledge an amount, for a successful summit climb. Avoid this option because I may not generate money at all hehe. This is more like a “challenge pledge”. You choose this if medyo masama sa loob mo mgbigay ng malaking halaga, so you like the idea of torturing the climber first, before giving your pledged amount. Alam mo ba gaano kahirap huminga at mag-climb sa 26,000ft? Puwes, wag mo ko pahirapan ;p

· Be creative, you can donate a small amount, then pledge more money for every 1000ft gained, and give us bonus if I reach the peak. That’s the best gift you can give to our indigenous kids (aka ‘katutubong bata’). Bigyan mo na rin ako bonus, kahit beer man lang.

To donate/pledge, contact us thru the Contact link, or thru Cartwheel website, or by simply sending a Comment in this post.

So there, you donate, I climb - very simple. Unless you want to climb, ako mg-donate. Last time I ask for prayers, nabagyo lang ako sa bundok, windstorm na, snowstorm pa. So 'wag nalang kayo mgdasal, mgbigay nlang kayo ng PERA!! Hahahaha!

Salamat ng madami!
Cheers !!

Romi Garduch

Breaking the Barrier

2005-05-06T00:26:00.000-07:00

Mt Cho oyu stands 26,906ft and is the 6th highest mt in the world, and one of the 14 peaks above 8000m/26,000ft (along with Mt. Everest and K2).
This extreme altitude is popularly known as - the death zone. It is called such, because at this altitude, human body starts to die.
Air in this environment is ~40% and less as you go higher -- barely enough to sustain human life. Acclimatization becomes impossible, body starts to shut down - digestive function stops, and other vital organs slowly dies. This is not a place intended for humans.
A climb of this peak is an endeavor that sits between the thin borders of extreme adventure, and insanity.
And this is the challenge that a Filipino mountaineer will tackle -- to become the first Filipino to break the death zone barrier.

"I've seen 11 of these 14 8000m peaks with my naked eye, and I always wondered how it's like to be on top of a death zone peak. Now the time has come for me to climb one of these mountains."

2005-05-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Setting the mood. April 2005: visiting an Aeta village in Bilad Tarlac. Pasay Rotarians and sisters from Holy Spirit are providing regular education and livelihood assistance to this community. A visit to such village is a good eye-opener to us urbanites, there's a lot we can do for these indegenous folks.. (photo courtesy of Ed G.)

What's the plan

2005-05-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

General Schedule (2005)
June
- Climb logistics preparation (remote)
- Travel prepration (booking, etc)
- Get Sponsors (well, hirap neto if i can get financial assistance)
- Start training (endurance, technical)
- Finalize 'Cause'

July
- Start the campaign, media.
get donations, pledges
- Acquire/upgrade climb gears (ubos ang sweldo!),
plastic boots plang 720$ na, sleeping bag ko med-quality 450$.
and i still have 20 open items in my list, o my golay!
- Continue training (as if it matters, i need a 15,000-ft mt to train!)

Aug
- Do we have a going-away party? wag na, bka ma-udlot lang ung climb.
(unless my sponsor, la nako money e).

Sep
- Expedition starts (to about Oct wk2).
(Nepal to Tibet overland, then climb)
I'll try to send climb updates for this Blog, hopefully over a useful sat-fon.

How can you help?
DONATE!! see Cartwheel website (sidebar link). This program will not be successful without your participation. Eh di sana 'Climb' lang ung title, ndi climb for a cause hehehe..

Umm if you have extra, send me money for my climb na rin :)

Romi Garduch!
________

Oct

2005-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

Past event picture: Summit of Mt Aconcagua (22,842ft) Jan 1, 2005