Two of the three climbers who became the first Maltese to reach the summit of Mount Everest marked the first anniversary of their momentous achievement with a quiet meal in a restaurant last Tuesday.
But hydrologist Marco Cremona, perhaps the best-known member of the successful Challenge 8000 team, told The Sunday Times he is focusing on surmounting new challenges rather than reminiscing about his historic climb.
“I’m not very romantic about mountaineering. Looking back, if people ask me to explain the view from the top, my honest answer is I can’t. I looked at Everest as a personal challenge and now that’s an episode of my life closed and my focus is on other things,” he said.
Mr Cremona, Gregory Attard, and Robert Gatt planted the Maltese flag on the roof of the world on May 17, 2010, just as the sun was rising. It was the culmination of over one year’s intensive preparation for an expedition which cost in the region of €100,000, supported by sponsors Bank of Valletta and Duracell.
Mr Cremona said although the expedition did not dramatically change his outlook on life, it has helped him gain a higher profile which he has attempted to use to influence national debates on the issues which matter to him most, notably water sustainability.
“If I’m honest, that was one of the reasons why I wanted to undertake the Everest challenge. I think I was respected before, but being part of the first Maltese group to climb Everest brings an element of popularity, and more people are willing to listen to me,” he said.
In the past year, he continued to campaign on water sustainability and lobbied hard against the use of boreholes for private use. He believes last month’s announcement by the Malta Resources Authority that illegally drilled boreholes must be decommissioned was directly influenced by his campaigning.
On a separate issue, within two months of returning home, Mr Cremona hit the headlines again when he and his wife filed a judicial protest against “discriminatory” adoption rules which did not allow married couples to adopt before the third wedding anniversary, despite there being no timeframes for single people and cohabiting couples.
The rules were changed last December and now the Cremonas look forward to two additions to their family shortly – from Ethiopia.
Mr Cremona beamed as he described his joy at impending fatherhood, but he also expressed concern about an underlying current of racism he perceives in Malta, particularly towards sub-Saharan Africans due to irregular migration.
“Though my children will grow up as Maltese citizens with all the rights that entails, there are Ethiopians in Malta who risked death to come here because their lives were so terrible, yet some Maltese hate them for it and would rather they had drowned. There is something deeply troubling about that,” he said.
Challenging negative perceptions of Africans are one of his next big challenges. He is currently working on a proposal for a project that would help the integration of African migrants in Maltese society while also alleviating water stress.
Although Mr Cremona says he is not interested in glory, the current Johnny Walker Man of the Year does admit to being annoyed that the Challenge 8000 team did not receive any official recognition from the President – not even a letter of congratulation. They were also nominated for the Gieħ It-Repubblika but did not receive any news beyond a letter of acknowledgement.
Mr Cremona pointed out that three Maltese reaching the summit meant Malta was ranked sixth in the world in terms of the number of people from each country per capita who had reached the summit of the world’s highest peak.
“We come from a warm island with no mountains, so to be number six is something I think the head of state should acknowledge, especially since he seems keen to acknowledge Eurovision singers who were not successful.
“I feel sorry for those who do lots of good work but fail to get recognised for one reason or another.”
He has no plans to return to mountain climbing in the next few years, preferring to find the right balance between raising his family, his job, voluntary work and campaigning on social, migration and water sustainability issues.
Would he return to Everest one day?
“I’d like to return with one or both of my children when they’re old enough and attempt the North Col of Everest, two-thirds of the way to the top. I’ll be at least 60 by then but I hope to still be going strong.”