Second Indonesia team tries to conquer Everest

Second Indonesia team tries to conquer Everest

JAKARTA (JP): After an Indonesian team reached the summit of
Mt. Everest (8,848 meters) Saturday, a second Indonesian team is
planning to do the same by May 6.

Lt. Col. Erfi Triasunu, Army Special Forces deputy assistant
for operational affairs, told a press conference yesterday that
the team of Sgt. Sunardi, private Tarmudi and Gunawan Achmad of
the Wanadri nature lovers club would climb the northern col to
the summit.

"They planned to reach the top on May 5, but the Armed Forces
chief (Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto) has asked them to reach it on
May 6.

"He told the team not to force themselves too hard, especially
if the weather prevents them from continuing the journey," Erfi
said.

Lt. Col. Pramono Edhie Wibowo, the team's coordinator,
reported that an unfavorable weather forecast meant the team
could not reach the top before May 6.

Sgt. Misirin, Corporal Asmujiono and their Russian coach
conquered the highest mountain Saturday via the southern col.
They were the first climbers to reach the summit this year.

The second team arrived at base camp Tuesday at 1 p.m. local
time.

The team is made up of 10 members of the Special Forces and
six people from the University of Indonesia's Mapala club,
Wanadri club and Indonesian Mountain Climbing Association.

Erfi said the team had reached the second camp, 7,800 meters
above sea level, and was climbing to the third camp, 8,200 meters
above sea level.

"On May 5 at 11 p.m. local time, the team is scheduled to move
from the third camp to the summit," he said.

Prabowo plans to meet both teams, which left Indonesia in
March, after they return from Everest.

The teams, which were set up last July, trained for five
months before the expedition.

Foreign expedition teams complimented the Indonesian teams for
their courage to climb in April, which is considered risky.

Wanadri club's Othy Mamahit said, "Climbers don't like April
because the weather is not very stable. Sometimes snow falls
heavily."

Othy said bad weather had delayed the northern col team by a
more than a week after the southern col team.

"Fortunately, the wind is blowing from Bengali Bay and our
team will be protected from the win until it reaches 8,200 meters
above sea level," he said.

"Our emergency zone will be above 8,200 meters because the
team will face the so-called 'death zone' on its way home from
the top," he added. (yan)