They made history by becoming the first all-Black team to summit the world’s highest peak, Everest. According to reports, the Full Circle Everest team nearly doubled the number of Black climbers who have summited Mount Everest.
According to Insider, what began as an idea blossomed into a reality on the peak of the 29,032-foot mountain. Philip Henderson, the team’s leader, led them. Manoah Ainuu, Evan Green, Adina Scott, James Kagambi, Rosemary Saal, Fred Campbell, Desmond Mullins, Abby Dione, Thomas Moore, and Eddie Taylor were among the others. They were aided by 12 Sherpa guides, who are indigenous climbers.
Henderson first put the idea out there in their mountaineering community, inviting other Black climbers to join him on this epic journey. He had previously climbed Mount Everest, but he was looking forward to doing so with an all-Black team.
When they were confident that they had mastered their steps in Nepal’s hilly regions and had trained sufficiently, they embarked on the journey to Mount Everest’s summit. They began their journey in Nepal, where they practiced hiking to become acquainted with the terrain.
Because the team was made up of people from all over the world, they used their first meeting to strengthen their bonds. Green was from New Mexico, Moore was from Colorado, Scott was from the Pacific Northwest, and Campbell was from Seattle, Washington, while the others were from Florida, New York, Kenya, and Montana.
This interaction defined each team member’s role in the historic summit. Scott was in charge of technology, and Green was in charge of photography. They started their formal journey in April and will finish it in May 2022. Green described the entire experience as a “homecoming” for them. Scott stated that each team member offered love where it was needed; there was teamwork and relationship strengthening among them.
Finally, the bond they formed was unprecedented in the entire chain of events preceding and following the mountain’s summit. Campbell remembered having a lot of fun, from dancing to camp kitchens. Climbers stop at camps to adjust their bodies to the altitude they are about to experience, which is one of the traditions. Through the hangouts, Campbell stated that every moment was worth living for.
They formed a bond with the Sherpa guides, who were crucial to their success, through these hangouts. Campbell wondered if they would have been able to complete their mission to summit Everest without them.
The Everest team had a firsthand experience of Nepal culture with the people and local communities who were an institution when it came to climbing the world’s highest mountain.
The team’s goal was to increase the number of Black climbers who had reached the summit of Mount Everest. Campbell believes their accomplishment will inspire future generations to climb the mountain.