“Sabi nga, mind over matter. Mind over matter.”

When Miguel Mapalad conquered all 29,032 feet of Mt. Everest on May 18, he needed a level of focus that was tantamount to putting his life’s work to the supreme test. 

Using only his mobile phone to chronicle the expedition with a sherpa and climbing partner Jeno Panganiban, Miguel’s camera work served a dual purpose. 

First, it offered a rather raw glimpse of the rare feat– intended for supporters and friends back home watching from their phone screens.

Second, and more importantly, it served as an apt diversion while being pushed to his mortal limits– intended for Miguel’s own sanity. 

“So ang ginagawa ko para ma-divert yung pagod ko– totoo ito– nagvi-video na lang ako,” Miguel shared with GMA Regional TV News during a homecoming press conference last June 11 at Delimondo Cafe in Makati City.

It was just like chatting with an invisible pal, Miguel recalled, effectively easing the relentless cold with the warmth of a friendly talk. Or in Miguel’s words, “kunwari may kausap akong kasama.”

Miguel was pertaining to his expedition mini-vlogs, widely viewed on Instagram with a number of reels reaching a million views. Almost always, it shows Miguel working with a mobile device as he captures sceneries along the way.

He is talking to his handheld digital companion like a well-trained travel show host. 

“Kunware may kausap talaga ako, kasi ang kasama ko lang naman palagi yung sherpa ko eh, tahimik lang yun hindi siya marunong mag-English pareho kami,” he added.

In the reel captioned ‘Base Camp excursion,’ he celebrates with fellow expeditioners while exclaiming “After one year of saving money, here we go! Our dream! The famous Everest Base Camp!” 

In another, already worth more than 2.3 million views as of publishing, Miguel announces his much-awaited summit push. 

Miguel admitted that he was a one-man documentary and vlog team. That is, he was his own host, narrator, cameraman, and video editor– almost like a mobile journalist in action chronicling the labors of his two-month expeditino, from camp rotations and acclimatization to his move to the peak.

“Ako lang nage-edit, nagpi-picture ng lahat ng yan. Habang nasa taas. Halimbawa nung nasa Camp 4 ako, walang signal so walang magawa, marami akong baterya, so sige. Habang naghihintay ng oras, kesa mag-isip ako ng mga bagay na kung anu-ano, mage-edit nalang ako,” shared Miguel.

“So parang naging diversion ko sya from yung hirap, yung pakiukipagusap ko sa cellphone ko,” he added, noting that proper precautions considered, he actually loved the adventure of capturing the “exciting parts” of the Everest journey. 

Asked if he is going to continue vlogging his future ascents, Miguel’s response was a resounding ‘yes.’

“Sunud-sunod yan, kasi dati ko pa naman ito ginagawa yan eh. Hindi lang sa Mt. Everest, yung mga trails na pinupuntahan namin. Gusto ko makita rin kasi ng mga tao kasi ang dami ng natutuwa sa mga video, nagre-react, mga napapasama na kasi gusto na rin mag hiking.”

VLOG GENERATION

Miguel and Jeno summited Everest on May 18, 2025. Another Filipino climber in Cotabato City pride Rhisael “Ric” Rabe had also reached the top three days prior. 

This troika of 2025 summits were quite a feat for the Philippine contingent, as it took almost two decades for the Philippine flag to be hoisted on the roof of the Earth again. 

Before Rabe, Mapalad, ang Panganiban, the last confirmed ascent by a Filipino was that of Regidor “Regie” Pablo, who did it 18 years ago on May 17, 2007, at a time where social networking sites weren’t the colossal forums that they have turned into today. 

In 2007, social media giant Facebook was only in its third year since going live and online in 2004. 

In fact, the ‘News Feed’ feature, where users’ life updates are algorithmically placed, was only introduced that year with around 50,000,000 active users worldwide– insanely far from the 2.11 billion DAILY active users on the platform today. 

During Regie Pablo’s 2007 expedition, Instagram wasn’t even an idea yet.

Content creation, essentially, was in its infancy.

Some 18 years later, Miguel Mapalad– with all the affordances a mobile phone can offer– has organically amassed a sizable following on Instagram, thanks to his short-form content that have made his Everest push more accessible to invested supporters online. 

Erwan “Pastor” Emata, a Davaoeño mountaineering legend who owns the distinction of being the second Filipino to summit Mt. Everest, could not emphasize more the major difference between doing the deed in 2006 and in 2025, particularly in terms of filming and communication. 

“Ibang-iba yung communication noon, only through satellite phone tapos kapag walang load, walang makakatawag. Pero ngayon pwede na araw-araw magcommunicate sa friends [back home], sa media,” Pastor told GMA Regional TV News at the press conference. 

He also thinks it is beneficial that people today have the opportunity to watch vlogs and other forms of social media content to see how climbing Everest looks like. 

“Advantage din yung alam na ngayon ng mga [tao] na hindi talaga ganun kadali ang Mt. Everest. Nung time kasi namin hindi alam eh, ang alam na lang nila na nag-summit na kami pero hindi nila nalaman gaano kahirap yung mismong pag-akyat,” said Pastor.

Back in 2006, analog devices were used primarily to report the summits back to the Philippines for dissemination and news coverage. Pastor explained the process: first, the summiteers would use a radio to report directly to their teammates at Everest base camp. 

That’s the only time when the communication team could try to contact their team in the Philippines to announce the feat. Unlike today, where even summiteers themselves like Miguel can hop on a Facebook Live to deliver updates real time. 

“Wala kaming phone, merong camera pero need pa nga tanggalin yung battery, kasi kahit hindi mo gamitin yung camera, pag nilagay mo lang yung battery sa loob, malo-lowbatt. Tapos ang ginamit ko disposable camera. Hindi tulad ngayon na meron nang naka-iphone o ano,” shared Pastor. 

Climbing the highest peak on Earth has put Miguel Mapalad in rarefied air–figuratively and literally– when he became only the 11th Filipino to stand atop the 8,849-meter Himalayan mountain. 

His vlogs will be remembered both as a component and proof of the journey.