Mt. Elbrus expedition: Braving the cold winds of Europe on high altitude

MANILA, Philippines - Seeking thrills on a vast level is a passion of any mountaineer, much like Filipino mountaineer Gideon Lasco, who recently conducted an expedition, together with a team of 11 Filipinos, to climb the summit of Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe and one of the “Seven Summits” in the world.

Four Filipinos brought the Philippine flag to the summit, 5,642 meters above sea level, at 10:25 a.m. (Moscow time) last July 20 — Lasco, who also climbed Kilimanjaro (highest in Africa) in 2011, making this his second of the Seven Summits; Carina Dayondon who climbed Everest (highest in Asia) in 2007 and Mt. McKinley (highest in North America) in 2006; orthopedic surgeon Dr. Francisco Roura; and Jacob Sarreal of adventure company Trail Adventours. Five others reached the altitude of 5,300 MASL.

“Overall, the team did well despite the difficulties we faced during the expedition,” Lasco said. He recounted that due to heavy snow during their first attempt, they had to abort, and given the limited time to head down the mountain, the second attempt was only pursued by a few of his colleagues.

The successful ascent of Mt. Elbrus made the team among the first Filipinos to reach Europe’s highest peak, including Romi Garduce who reached the peak in 2007 as part of his Seven Summits bid.

The Filipino Elbrus expedition should reignite interest in the Seven Summits, one of the most sought-after challenges by adventurers all over the world. Already, Lasco, Dayondon, Sarreal and others are discussing plans to bid for Mt. Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, in late 2014, while two Filipino groups are planning to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in the same year.

Supported by the Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition (C.O.R.E) — an advocacy program that supports local athletes and outdoorsmen by retail giant Primer Group of Companies — the mission partly aims to influence more Filipinos in protecting and taking pride in the country’s rich resources.

Lasco, who plans to pursue the Seven Summits, reiterates that his main objective remains to be the documentation of Philippine mountains. Having climbed over 120 peaks, he said, “I want to show the Philippines that hiking is a healthy activity that is for everyone.”

Truly, an unprecedented feat and passion of yet another Filipino mountaineer.