KATHMANDU, MAY 19

A team of black climbers that had scripted history by scaling the world's highest peak on May 12, has returned with life changing memories.

"Yes, we have done it!" Philip Henderson, team leader of the Full Circle Expedition exclaimed, after returning from the base camp.

Of the 11 members of the team that had attempted the climb, only seven made it to the top while at least 13 Nepali guides accompanied them to the summit point. "This is the first ever all-black team to stand atop the roof of the world," Philip, who hadn't reached the summit point due to his hectic managerial tasks at the Everest base camp, said.

"With the Full Circle team representing a zenith in generational perseverance, the expedition has showcased the tenacity and strength of black climbers, and highlighted the barriers that continue to exist for Black communities in accessing the outdoors," Philip, who worked tirelessly to make this dream happen since 2019, shared.

One of the specific objectives of the expedition was to inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts, educators, leaders, and mountaineers of color to continue chasing their personal summits. The team has, as such, achieved its goal by scaling Mt Everest, according to Philip.

"Our team has scaled Mt Everest, interacted with local communities to know about society and culture as well as with other climbers," he said.

Among the climbers comprising of sociologist, psychologist, marine technician and the North Face athletes, 62-year-old James Kagambi, a retired teacher from Kenya, has also become the first Kenyan to summit Mt Everest.

"We have had the life-changing experiences during the Everest expedition," Kagambi, also known as KG, said, adding that he wanted to inspire younger generation to embrace on outdoor activities to achieve their personal summits.

Much has changed in Khumbu since Philip had first visited the region in 2012 as a leader of the North Face/National Geographic Everest Education Expedition.

"We have seen more helicopters in the sky, less mules and porters on the trails but gadgets and smart phones in everybody's hand," Philip, the only black instructor at Khumbu Climbing Centre, recounted.

"We have treasured the memory of climbing with friends on Mt Everest," Rosemary Saal, one of female climbers who made it to the summit point, added.

Rosemary has worked primarily as a backpacking field instructor.

North Face Athlete Manoah Ainuu (25) said that he would take these memories back to his country to inspire his community to embrace wilderness adventures. "Our team is not just about all of us being black climbers, but also our entire support staff comprised of people from different Nepali communities, including Sherpa, Rai, Tamang, Magar and all of those who supported us and our ides," he added.

After arriving at the Everest Base Camp on April 17, the team members mixed up with diverse climbing communities sharing their common goals, Fred Campbell, also a Microsoft data scientist, shared. Fred, however, had not made it to the summit point this season.

According to the Full Circle, the first American expedition reached the summit of Everest in 1963. 'That same year Martin Luther King delivered his historic 'I Have a Dream' speech.

It took 40 more years for the first Black climber to summit Everest. Still, there had never been an all-Black team to summit the tallest mountain on Earth.

"Our goal inspiring people from around the globe to be adventurous resulted in history being made on May 12 by the strong team of climbers."

This season, seven black climbers of Full Circle team - James (KG) Kagambi, Manoah Ainuu, Rosemary Saal, Demond 'Dom' Mullins, Thomas Moore, Eddie Taylor and Evan Green had scaled Mt Everest. The Nepali Guides accompanying the team to the summit point include Fura Chheten Sherpa, Pasang Nima Sherpa, Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa, Phurtemba Sherpa, Dawa Chhiri Sherpa, Sonam Gyalje Sherpa, Nima Nuru Sherpa, Chhopal Sherpa, Chhowang Lendup Sherpa, Tashi Gyalje Sherpa, Amrit Ale, Pemba Sherpa, and Ngawang Tenjing Sherpa, according to Jiban Ghimire, Managing Director at Shangri-La Nepal Treks, said.

"Through teamwork, team meetings, team trips, team gatherings and team support we have come away with a grand success," Ghimire, who organised this historic expedition said.

The Full Cirlcle team thanked title sponsors including The North Face, Vanity Fair and Microsoft as well as other sponsors – Scarpa North America, Mountain Safety Research, Thermarest, Greening Youth Foundation, Osprey and Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation among others.