Follow the first Dominican expedition to climb Mount Everest in the Himalayas

Federico Jovine, Ivan Gomez and Karim Mella are the first Dominicans to attempt to scale Mount Everest as part of a project to climb seven of the world's highest mountains since 2004 known as Siete Cimas. The mountaineers on 27 March began the climb by spending a month's training at the three camps at Mount Everest to acclimatize their body to the extreme temperatures.
The hike is programmed for 10 May. The 8,850-meter mountain is the highest in the world. "Whoever starts the hike using their own feet needs to come down the same way," they said. The bodies of climbers who died in the attempt can be seen along the climb.

The group has already climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa's highest mountain at 5,895 meters or 19,341 ft (2005), Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest mountain in the Americas at 6,962m (22,841 ft (2006) and Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in the Russian Caucasus at 5,642 meters (18,510 ft) (2009). They got their start in mountaineering locally practicing at the Duarte Peak, the highest in the Caribbean at 10,000 ft -- Ivan Gomez has 47 ascents, Federico Jovine has 52 ascents, and Karim Mella has 47 ascents.

The budget for the 2011 climb is RD$11,340,000. The registration fee alone for each climber is US$25,000.

Previously, climbers from Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala and Puerto Rico from Latin America and the Caribbean have climbed Mt. Everest.

Way cool. I wish them luck. It is not a trip for the weak or faint of heart.

The santo domingo chiropractor also had a small hand in this mission. hahahaha.
Thanks to him, one of the members is going to be in better shape.
AZB

Sorry but to me it is a waste of good money. I am sorry, but After Hillary and Tsing, I really do not care. The place is now a junk pile of discarded oxygen bottles and a cemetery for the weak..

I hope they are safe and return, because I would not wish them harm..

HB, the curmudgeon

Robert said:

The latest report is that the team of Ivan Gomez, Karim Mella, Federico Jovine and their assistants Dr. Julio de Pena, Juvenal Brenes and the filming team arrived at 5am Dominican time to the Khumbu Ice Falls base camp in Nepal. Their support team is Excelsior Group. It took them an entire day hike to get to the base camp. The team reports it gets colder as they climb and at the time of the report it was snowing. They say they have adapted to the height, and they are only tired of the monotonous breakfast of fried eggs with bread.

Click to expand...

Send them some coditos with some tomato sauce they'd really feel at home

Merengue on Mt Everest

Hahaha, even on Mt Everest we may be dancing merengue if god is willing.

I've become an Everest Junkie after I read this news and the only think I can ask is for GOD to take of them on their JOURNEY as a lot of people has lost their life trying to reach the Everest Summit or lost primordial extremities (eg. Beck Weathers, awesome bravery story right there).

Muchachos con Dios delante nada es Imposible! Claven esa bandera en ese pico Co?o que yo confio en ustedes!!!

PS: Guys, plz read "Into Thin Air" "The Climb" & watch the 1998 IMAX Masterpiece "Everest". Then you'll have a live footage to compare against...

With luck they will get pictures of the "Yeti" .......................

Good news. I really hope they make it to the top and plant the Dominican flag atop Everest.

Errrr diache, ni el monte Everest se salva de los Dominicanos...jeje. Hope they make it and place the "tricolor" on at the highest point. I would love to do that myself, but have to climb Pico Duarte first...lol

OK, so it's not the feast that it was years ago, but still one a few thousands people in the world get to do that. Pretty amazing to see Salami Induveca on Mt. Everest

The latest report is that the team of Ivan Gomez and Karim Mella are expected to have successfully completed their climb of Mount Everest on Saturday, around 8 and 10pm. The third team member, Federico Jovine, was not able to complete the climb, after being affected by bronchitis. He was at Base Camp with Dr. Julio de Pena sending Twits back, as reported.

A blizzard had affected camp 2 and 3 and many tents of other teams were destroyed. Federico still hopes to make it to the top, but is waiting for improvements in the weather. The team is hoping for a breach in the bad weather to accomplish the climb. As reported, the first team of the accompanying International Mounting Guides reached the top of the peak today at 6:40-7:20am, Nepal time.

In an interview in Diario Libre, sponsor of the climb, hiker Ivan Gomez explained the hike is part of the Siete Cimas program, in which they have set out to climb seven mountains around the world, of which Everest would be the 5th. He commented he has been climbing since he was 15 years old -- Pico Duarte was his first. "What quality of life would a person have if he just stayed sitting down. Maybe he would live longer, but without inspiring or motivating others. One has to take risks to make things happen," he said.
He told the reporter the first thing he would do when he got to the top of the mountain would be to hug his fellow Dominican climber Karim Mella, and take the photos with the flag, and then immediately begin the descent.
As to what were the most difficult moments, he said that it was when a fellow climber of another expedition died. Gomez explained the person was young and just collapsed and was not able to be revived. "Then I remembered we are all mortal and have to be more prudent," he said. He also recalled the day he witnessed an avalanche, which he described as monstrous and very scary. And the night he had to spend alone. He said he had to use oxygen for an hour.

The Saturday climb may not happen, given the weather conditions. To follow the climb, see http://www.mountainguides.com/everest-south11.shtml

It is very exciting that they are almost to the top. I can't wait to hear that they made it.

I wish them the best of luck of course but wonder why so many willingly risk their life on such a dangerous venture for what amounts to a sport. Godspeed.

They are on their way. They started their climb for the summit four hours ago. No idea how long it takes lol. But latest reports say they can see the summit. I think it is amazing in that they practised on Pico Duarte.

2011 Mt. Everest Expedition Coverage with International Mountain Guides

matilda

They made it!!

Matilda

International Mountain Guides reports that Karim Mella and Ivan Gomez (Ivan EG) made it to the top. Karim Mella became the first Dominican to climb Mount Everest. Third man on the Dominican expedition, Federico Jovine, who had suffered from bronchitis did not make it the last stretch.

IMG:

The following members of the 2011 IMG Everest Expedition I & II have reached the summit between 4:30 to 8:11am on May 21, 2011 (Nepal Time):

Mr. Karim Marino Mella (USA/Dominican Republic)
Mr. Alan Duane Arnette (USA)
Ms. Mirjam Beaudoin (Germany)
Mr. Ivan EG Carrasco (Dominican Republic)
Mr. Heiko Weiner (Germany)
Mr. Richard Luke Millard (USA)
Mr. Panuru Sherpa (Phortse) — this is his 9th Everest Summit
Mr. Ang Chhiring Sherpa (Pangboche) — this is his 12th Everest Summit
Mr. Mingma Tenzing Sherpa I (Phortse) — this is his 6th Everest Summit
Mr. Mingma Dorje Sherpa (Phortse) — this is his 8th Everest Summit
Mr. Karma Rita Sherpa (Phortse) — this is his 6th Everest Summit
Mr. Pasang Rinji Sherpa (Phortse) — this is his 6th Everest Summit
Mr. Pasang Yila Sherpa (Pangboche) — this is his 6th Everest Summit
Mr. Mingma Tenzing II (Phortse) — this is his 1st Everest summit
The climbers are now all on their way down from the summit.

—Ang Jangbu, Expedition Leader