Recently in Mt. Everest Category

By Frank Cimatu Inquirer Northern Luzon Bureau BAGUIO CITY--Many are now familiar with the names Noelle Wenceslao, Carina Dayondon and Janet Belarmino, the first three Filipino women who reached the summit of Mt. Everest last summer. But does anyone know the fourth? Emma Paryar is the trekking agent who helped the First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition (FPMEE) in their booking and lodging. She reached only the base camp at the foot of Mt. Everest, but that is enough for her to claim that she had almost reached the top of the highest mountain in the world. Emma and husband Harka are trekking agents who help any mountaineering enthusiast climb Mt. Everest. She said Filipinos who want to go to Mt. Everest must start training now, even if the actual climbing season runs from March to May. The couple suggested that travelers fly from Manila to Kathmandu in Nepal through Bangkok or Hong Kong. Round-trip airfare costs about $900. Emma passed through Hong Kong where she met Harka. She was 23 then. The couple has been married for 11 years. She said the trekking business is booming because more tourists prefer extreme adventures. The Paryars are connected with the Kathmandu-based International Adventures Treks and Expedition (IATE), which also offers treks in Tibet and Bhutan. This was helpful for the three Filipino mountaineers whose transborder climb was from Tibet to Nepal. Together with Thamserku Trekking, IATE organized the FPMEE trips in 2006 and 2007. Paryar said the recent feats of the FPMEE, including that of Leo Oracion and Erwin "Pastor" Emata, the first two Filipinos to reach the Everest apex, would encourage more Filipinos to go there. Most of the Filipino clients are from the United States and Dubai. During the off season, the Paryars handle Filipinos who do not intend to climb Mt. Everest but go there for a Buddhist pilgrimage. These pilgrims number 900-1,200 a year. Although she has been a trekking agent for more than a decade, Paryar has not yet reached the top of Mt. Everest, but was excited over the feat of the three women. "We were so happy when they reached the top," she said, adding that Filipinos could easily go to Mt. Everest as long as they follow the guidelines. A medical certificate, for instance, is required to show that the climber can bear the altitude starting at 2,000 meters above sea level. Acclimatization is needed even at the base camp, known as Namtse Bazar or Nagarkot. Beyond Namtse Bazar, things get much more expensive. "One has to spend from $4,000 to $10,000 a day for Sherpa guides and porters," Paryar said. Emata and Oracion saved money by mingling with the Sherpas.