(NEW YORK) — The first all-Black Mount Everest expedition team, Full Circle Everest, has reached the summit of the highest mountain on Earth, and their excitement can be felt from thousands of feet below.
The seven climbers who reached the summit include Manoah Ainuu, Eddie Taylor, Rosemary Saal, Demond “Dom” Mullins, Thomas Moore, James “KG” Kagami and Evan Green.
According to the team, their success nearly doubles the number of Black climbers who have climbed the mountain, which stands at more than 29,000 feet high.
“I am deeply honored to report that seven members of the Full Circle Everest team reached the summit on May 12,” said Full Circle Everest leader Philip Henderson. “While a few members, including myself, did not summit, all members of the climb and Sherpa teams have safely returned to Base Camp where we will celebrate this historic moment!”
This trek lures hundreds of climbers each year, but few Black climbers have made the trip. For these climbers, the treacherous climb represented the barriers Black communities face in accessing outdoor sports and spaces.
They hope to inspire the next generation of Black athletes, climbers and mountaineers to take themselves to new heights.
“My big goal with this project is to help demystify the process of climbing your Everest; it doesn’t necessarily need to be Everest,” Abby Dione, a member of Full Circle Everest, told ABC News.
Similarly, Eddie Taylor, another climber on the team, also hopes to be an inspiration for future outdoor sports athletes.
“Everest is still gonna be hard. It’s still going to be this big mountain, but it’s going to be something that you don’t feel like it’s unattainable.
The team tracked their journey on Flipgrid, as people from all across the world cheered on the history-making team.
The team was led by local Sherpa climbing guides, who help hundreds of mountaineers up Everest. The Full Circle Everest team said they could not have made this historic climb without their guidance.
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