Mountaineer Elmo back home following expedition to summit of Lobuchi East

Wednesday, 21 May 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Mountaineer Elmo Francis who became the first Sri Lankan to reach the summit of Lobuchi East which stands at 6,200 metres returned to the island. Expo Freight (EFL), a subsidiary of Expolanka Holdings PLC was the strategic partner for Elmo’s expedition. Elmo, the first Sri Lankan to reach the summit Mera Peak in the Himalayas in 2006 set out this time to reach 7,500 metres on the South side of Mount Everest as a prelude to conquering Mt Everest summit in 2015.

However, due to the unfortunate event where 16 people perished while attempting to climb Mt Everest, Elmo had to cancel his scheduled climb to the South side of Mt Everest. Undaunted, he decided to attempt a climb to Advanced Base Camp of Mt Pumori which stands at 7,138 metres. Avalanche risk thwarted this plan as well but Elmo’s team then proceeded to climb Jangbu peak, a slightly technical peak on the Khumbu glacier to acclimatise in preparation to climb the Khumbu Ice Fall in Lobuchi East. Following acclimatising at Everest Base camp for 10 days Elmo and the team tackled the Khumbu Ice Fall below the west ridge of Mt Everest without a Sherpa to guide them. Elmo then decided to reach Lobuchi East which stands at 6,200 metres. By this time, all other teams attempting to climb Mt Everest had already cleared camps. However as Elmo possessed a permit to climb Lhotse at 8,501 metres, the fourth highest mountain in the world, his team received permission to stay on longer for acclimatisation. On 9 May 2014, Elmo reached camp 01 of Lobuchi and by 4 a.m. on the same day, he and the team began their climb to reach the Lobuchi East summit. By 8:42 a.m., Elmo stood on top of Mt Lobuchi East, holding his head high as the first Sri Lankan to complete that climb. Commending Elmo, Expolanka Holdings PLC Group CEO/Director Hanif Yusoof said, “Elmo’s approach resonates strongly with our Dare to Do spirit. Elmo’s perseverance and courage is inspiring and as a truly Sri Lankan company we strive to encourage this spirit not only within our business but also in all our country men and women.” The climb to Lobuchi East summit is a class 3 – 4 feat that requires technical gear such as ice axes, crampons and ropes. Thus far three other teams comprising of explorers from Australia, the UK, the US and Switzerland have successfully completed this climb. Airing his thoughts on completing the feat Elmo said, “The sense of achievement that you feel the moment you take that final step to successfully complete your task is indescribable. Exhausted, overwhelmed yet on top of the world, you feel fantastic. I would like to offer my whole-hearted appreciationto Expo Freight (EFL) for their unwavering faith in me.” Elmo is in charge of training at Amana Bank and he conveyed his gratitude to Amana Bank for coming on board as the event partner in the Everest expedition. He thanked Sri Lankan Airlines as the official carrier for the expedition and Entertainers as the fitness partner that conditioned him during his training for the expedition. He also thanked the Ministry of Sports for the patronage offered.