Dial-a-guide leads team
11.05.11
The two Red Deer men hoping to summit Mount Everest later this month will now attempt to do so with their team leader some 11,600 km away.
Experienced mountaineer Manuel Pizarro, 40, arrived home in Montreal on May 5 after a heart-scare brought to an end his quest to become the first Canadian to successfully scale the world’s tallest peak three times. He summited in 2007 and 2009.
Pizarro is disappointed but remains fully committed in helping Steve Barahona, 28, and Phil Bota, 22, reach the mountain crest in their first attempt.
“Even though I’m home, my job is still to lead the team up,” he said Tuesday.
The three talk at least once a day via satellite phone despite the 10-hour time difference between Montreal and Mount Everest, which towers 8,850 metres above sea level in the Himalayan range at the Nepal-China border.
Pizarro will continue to guide the men by phone for the remainder of their journey even though he appointed a new ascent leader to physically lead them up the mountain.
Source: reddeeradvocate.com