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Veteran mountain climber Romi Garduce's quest of becoming the first Filipino to reach the seven highest mountains in the seven continents earned the support of GMA Network. GMA's '7 Summits Expedition of 2011' will follow Garduce as he climbs the last two mountains before attaining the prestigious '7 Summits' record in Mountaineering. Garduce has successfully summited six of the famous seven peaks — Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa (2002), Mt. Aconcagua in South America (2005), Mt. Everest in Asia (2006), Mt. Elbrus in Europe (2007), the Denali Peak in North America (2008), and Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia (2008). Mt. Kosciuszko, however, is a subject of an ongoing debate whether it should be included in the list of the '7 Summits'. Although Mt. Kosciuszko is the tallest in Australia, at 7,310 feet, reaching the summit is not that difficult. This July, Garduce continues his quest by climbing the 16,023-foot Carstenz Pyramid in Indonesia. Carstenz, the tallest mountain in the Australasia/Oceania geographical region, is considered a more challenging climb by seasoned mountaineers and is the alternative to Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia. By December, Garduce will end his 10-year odyssey by attempting to conquer the formidable Vinson Massif, a 16,067-foot mountain near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula in harsh below zero temperatures. By climbing both peaks, Garduce joins an elite group of mountaineers to achieve this feat and become the first Filipino to have successfully climbed the world's '7 Summits'.
From 1991, Garduce championed environmentalism through close encounters with Mother Earth as a member of the University of the Philippines Mountaineers (UPM). Two decades after his first climb, Garduce continues to raise environmental awareness through his treks. "The expedition is a testament that we Filipinos value our tenancy on Earth. This is also my serious attempt to put the Philippine flag on this world renowned record," Garduce said. A mountaineer for almost half his life, he knows the rigors of preparing for a climb, which takes much longer than staying on the summit. "It takes more than competence and training to be a winner in this adventure sport. We derive meaning only if we back the summit with a cause." Catch a detailed account of Garduce's expedition this July and December 2011 as GMA News and Public Affairs takes the lead in adventure sports coverage. Feeds on the summits will be aired on all GMA and GMA News TV newscasts and bulletins. - RAP/JVP, GMA News
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