To tackle Mount Everest’s “intentional shortage of access for Black People” and the mountaineering’s “colonial past”, a team of nine black climbers will attempt it.
The Full Circle Everest Expedition, which climbing leader Fred Campbell described as ‘the first all black and brown expedition to the highest place on earth’ in an Instagram video, is hoping to change the future of mountaineering.
Sherpa Norgay from Nepal was among the first to climb Mount Everest. This man of color came from Nepal and was accompanied by Sir Edmund Hillary (New Zealand) in 1953.
Many Sherpas of color climb Everest every day during peak season. Outside of Nepal, the name ‘Sherpa’ has become synonymous with mountain guides.
A total of 10,155 people reached the summit of this towering mountain since 1953.
The Full Circle Everest Expedition is made up of nine black climbers. It aims to conquer Mount Everest in order to relive the sport’s “colonial history”.
Philip Henderson, the team’s leader at 58, stated that the project was all about “summiting Everest” first and then “everything else in second”.
According to a GoFundMe created for the expedition – which has surpassed its $150,000 goal – only eight black climbers of the 10,000 made it to the summit.
Full Circle Everest Expedition hopes to add nine additional members to the team, with participants from around the globe training to climb the highest mountain on the planet in spring 2022.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain over sea level and stands at 29,032ft high in the Himalayas. This Himalayan range borders China, Nepal, and China.
Every year around 800 attempt Everest. However, a lot fewer climb it than they should due to the freezing temperatures and extreme conditions.
You can even find a “death zone” at 26,247ft when oxygen levels drop 40 percent.
Many skilled climbers take several weeks to reach the summit due to its high elevation.
Team leader, 58-year-old Philip Henderson, told The Washington Post that he is often the only black person in any of his mountaineering groups and therefore created the project to be about ‘summiting Everest first’ and ‘everything else second’.
Sherpa Norgay (right), and Sir Edmund Hillary (left), were the first two people to climb Mount Everest’s highest peak in 1953. Since, 10,155 people have reached the towering mountain’s summit and only eight of those people have been black
The high-qualified climbing team has received sponsorships from many outdoor apparel companies, including MSR Gear, Ramble Camp and Ramble Camp.
Adina Scott, a Seattle-based electrical engineer, is now employed by the US Antarctic Program, which provides electronic support for scientists working along the Arctic Peninsula. According to the bio of the Full Circle Everest Expedition, she has earned a PhD.
And Evan Green, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a freelance photographer and videographer specializing in the outdoor industry while Abby Dione of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has owned Coral Cliffs Climbing Gym since 2011.
Rosemary Saal is 28, a National Outdoor Leadership School field instructor. She posted the following information to LinkedIn.
She told The Post of why she chose to join the team: ‘I hear “black people don’t do that” all the time when I talk about my climbing.
“That only perpetuates the stereotypes. You need to alter the narrative.
Other team members have also been known to climb. Demond ‘Dom’ Mullins, combat veteran of Iraq War, was a US Senate staffer in veterans health. He has summited Mount Kilimanjaro (19.341ft) as well as Mount Kenya (17.057ft).
Fred Campbell is the climbing leader of the team. He has also been on Mount Kilimanjaro and in the Alaska Range.
The team is made up of highly-qualified people, including Demond ‘Dom’ Mullins, a combat veteran of the Iraq War, a US Senate staffer on veterans health and veteran climber after summiting Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft) and Mount Kenya (17,057 ft)
Instagram shows how he runs up and down hills to train in Seattle, Washington.
Everest is only the beginning. “Our expedition will transform the outdoor narrative to make it inclusive and welcoming for everyone,” a GoFundMe description read.
Manoah Ainuu (one of the athletes) stated that Manoah Ainuu was one of them and said, “The main reason why this is important:Historically, black people and brown people haven’t been in those areas and environments.
He said, “So we believe this is an opportunity for us to be first in many ways,”
The Post stated that even the name Full Circle, the expedition’s title, speaks volumes about the efforts of The Post to promote diversity in mountaineering.
Saal referenced Hillary – the first reach Mount Everest’s summit – and told The Post: ‘There’s been an intentional lack of access for Black people. Hillary summited for the first time [Everest], black people couldn’t even vote in this country.’
Her observation was also that the national parks were only just desegregated. This expedition is about showing that “Yes, this can be done.”