Ric Rabe summits Everest after 18-year lull for Filipino mountaineers

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A day after a tragedy in the Filipino mountaineering community, Ric Rabe summits the world's highest point, the unforgiving 29,031-foot peak of Mount Everest

MANILA, Philippines – For the first time in nearly two decades, a Filipino has again reached the roof of the world.

Just a day after Philipp “PJ” Santiago II died due to oxygen-related difficulties in Mount Everest, his fellow adventurer Ric Rabe scaled the top of the world’s highest mountain on Friday, May 15, ahead of at least two other Filipinos, Jeno Panganiban and Miguel Mapalad, as confirmed by Rabe’s wife Aileen on Facebook.

“We all know that Ric from Cotabato City — unsponsored, unpublicized, and quietly determined — already reached the summit yesterday morning (May 15) thru the South Col (Nepal),” she wrote.

But as mountaineers know, the journey is not about who reaches the top of Everest first, but who gets to descend, come home, and climb for another day.

“Ric’s journey isn’t over yet. After the summit comes the descent — first back down to Camp 4, then Camp 3, then Camp 2, then through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall to Base Camp. From there, it’s a 3 to 5-day trek to Lukla, and finally a flight to Kathmandu — weather permitting,” Aileen continued.

“This isn’t a race to the top or a contest for publicity. True mountaineers climb with humility, not headlines. They don’t boast; they just quietly conquer.”

With Rabe’s ascent officially confirmed by Makalu Adventure, he would become the ninth Filipino to scale all 29,031 feet of the Mount Everest — ninth since scaling pioneer Leo Oracion and first since Regie Pablo on May, 17, 2007.

Barring major setbacks, Panganiban and Mapalad are also expected to conquer the unforgiving Everest peak sometime in the next few days. – Rappler.com