On top of the world

Three Maltese are planning to climb Mt Everest, the world's tallest mountain, in spring next year, attempting to tread heights no local sportsmen have ever set foot on before.

If they succeed in surmounting what is considered to be the ultimate adventure and sporting challenge, they will make history as the first Maltese to stand on top of the world at an elevation of 8,848 metres, planting Malta onto the mountaineering map.

Cyprus is the only other European country that has not flown its flag on the prestigious peak and the Maltese trio - Marco Cremona, Greg Attard and Robert Gatt, all three from different walks of life - do not intend leaving Malta lagging behind in the path to the summit.

Apart from a personal ambition, it is also a matter of national pride, they concur, armed with the required perseverance to take the Maltese flag to new heights.

The expedition, challenge8000, was launched yesterday, kicking off a year of intense training and preparation to be able to enter what is known as the Death Zone, without succumbing to its fatal effects. Being over 8,000 metres above sea level, as the challenge's name highlights, means insufficient oxygen to sustain life for a prolonged period.

Climbing Everest is expected to take 10 weeks of braving inhospitable terrain, unforgiving cold, blizzards, avalanches and anything the "fickle" weather at such heights can unexpectedly hurl at the climbers.

But they are gearing up for it, under the guidance of world-renowned and experienced Scottish mountaineer Victor Saunders, who has been there, done that - four times over!

He knows the tricks - when your tent is perched at a precarious angle, you have to be tied to take a leak. Otherwise, it's a fast roll down and a not-so-fast uphill.

Close to the peak, each step required five breaths but once you reached it, the feeling was similar to a businessman "making his first million", Mr Saunders said.

Equipped with a good dose of patience, waiting for the right weather window, as well as determination, the three Maltese know they will be facing a challenge that is not only an immense physical feat but even more mental.

Their preparation includes intense aerobic training and they should even put on some weight before they embark on the climb, which is sure to see them shed some kilos.

Before attempting Everest, the climbers plan to tackle the sixth tallest mountain in the world, Cho Oyu, at 8,201 metres. The high-altitude climb is scheduled for September and should serve as preparation, being similar to Everest in terms of logistics.

The run-up to the climb is also adopting a social aim and the challenge8000 team is planning to raise awareness about asthma and air quality in Malta - it is estimated that 10 per cent of the population is suffering from this pulmonary condition - through its association with the Society of Maltese Asthmatics and the Stop the Dust campaign.

Everest info

Location: Part of the Himalaya range, on the border of Nepal in the south and Tibet (China) in the north.

First ascent: May 29, 1953.

Method: Mountaineers establish a camp at the base of the mountain and four others before reaching the summit. For about 30 days, they move up and down to acclimatise, allowing their bodies to adapt to the reduced oxygen content in the air. At the summit, it is only one third of that available at sea level. Without the necessary equipment, the body would fast deteriorate, lasting about 30 minutes.

Lives claimed: 210. Conditions are so harsh in the Death Zone that most bodies have been left where they fell and some are visible from standard climbing routes.

High profile

Marco Cremona, mechanical engineer and environmental consultant.

He started with Kilimanjaro and got hooked. He met Dr Attard on Etna and the two struck a "climbing relationship"; he had a chance meeting with Mr Gatt, a University mate, in a Valletta bar, the two got talking and the three decided to join forces. The rest may be history.

The plan was to take their mountaineering advances 500 metres at a time, but eventually, they decided to step it up and go all the way. "We're not getting any younger!"

Greg Attard, medical doctor, specialising in accident and emergency situations.

His area of expertise should prove useful on the challenge8000 expeditions. Over the last year, he has invested time in learning more about wilderness medicine, particularly the high-altitude aspects of this evolving science.

He explains why "mountains are bad for health" but the threatening facts of altitude- and environment-related problems are not putting him off.

"My job will also entail differentiating between normal and acute mountain sickness - when they persist." It won't be a simple task when you consider that extreme fatigue in these conditions can considerably compromise judgment.

Robert Gatt, London-based business systems consultant.

He is bringing his technical climbing skills and good mountain judgment to the team, having been at it for 20 years. He also claims to make a decent cup of coffee over a little petrol stove in strong winds.

Apart from perseverence, the climbers also require "short-term memory loss" - to be able to forget how hard their previous expedition was, complete with loss of sleep and the waking up gasping for air.

In a nutshell: "All those things you take for granted, including the air you breathe... just forget about them!"

Life on an expedition of the sort also means spending days on end in a tent the size of a table; it's about waking up early - at 10 p.m. - to wear the frozen clothes you've been wearing since the previous week, trying to do up your boots with frozen fingers and setting off into the dark, guided only by a hat torch...