All set to become first Maltese nationals to conquer Everest

If the mountain will not come to Malta then Malta must go to the mountain and everything is on track for three mountaineers to be the first Maltese to summit the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest, in April.

The Challenge 8000 team - Gregory Attard, Robert Gatt and Marco Cremona - will be leaving Malta on March 27 to start the climb, which should culminate around May 14 when the group plans to reach 'the earth's ceiling'.

The preceding days will not be easy. Climbing a mountain was not as simple as it may sound, Dr Attard, explained at a press conference yesterday.

By the time the team reaches the summit, they would have covered the distance about four times before to prepare their bodies for the thin air in the Death Zone, where they will be increasingly dependent on oxygen tanks.

Add to that the risk of frostbite, hypothermia and the fact that the nearest hospitals are miles away and you quickly reach the conclusion that mountaineering is not a walk in the park.

The party will be led by renowned mountaineer Victor Saunders, who last year led the team up the 8,201 metre high Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world, in preparation for this year's ascent to Everest.

They hope to be guided by Sherpa Pasang Dawa, who accompanied them on their summit of Cho Oyu, and who climbed Sagarmatha (as Everest is known in Nepali) 13 times in as many years.

Before approaching base camp, the party will do an acclimatisation climb on the 6,150 metre high Mount Nirekha, to avoid treading too much over the Khumbu icefall, the most dangerous part of the South Col route, the path the Maltese mountaineers have chosen.

The South Col route has one of the highest success rates and was chosen because, in the event of an emergency, it is one of the fastest routes to go down from.

As part of their ongoing training, Mr Cremona and Dr Attard will tomorrow traverse Mount Etna over two days, a trek that usually takes three to four days in better weather. Mr Gatt will not be able to join them because he currently lives in London.

The group will also be organising a 24-hour trek across Malta, starting on February 19, for the public to get a small taste of their adventure. People can also experience what severe sub-zero temperatures feel like, as Dew Fresh in Marsa opens its blast freezer to the public.

The team's ascent will cost the party two months of work and a hefty €100,000 to cover the expedition, part of which is being sponsored by Duracell and Bank of Valletta.

Asked whether they were apprehensive of the trip, Dr Attard laughed, replying: "Not yet".