Last April, 14 Custom's officers beat the odds and the elements and climbed to the top of Belize's highest point, Victoria Peak. The 3-day expedition raised more than $7,000 which was shared among 3 charities. This weekend a group of Custom's officers and associates will again attempt to climb Victoria's Peak. But it promises to be a very different climb because they will be going up against the odds, the elements, and Hurricane Adrian which is heading across Guatemala and El Salvador. Unfazed by the weather system 8 venturers, 4 of whom are Custom's officers, began their journey today.
Keith SwiftReporting, Email: [keithkswift@gmail.com]
These are the mountain men, 6 eager, physically fit and mentally tough individuals ready to summit Victoria Peak.
Efrain "Beep" Phillips, Leading Venture
"We decided that this year we will try it again to help because we feel that the underprivileged really need the help out here right now. We had tried to do it the same date as the year before but because of all the problems we had in our country, we decided to hold back and we are trying out for this long weekend now. Again the effort is to raise funds to help the underprivileged. The name of the expedition is expedition CLIMB-UP which means Customs Leading a Mission Benefiting the Underprivileged. We just feel that we can assist or take our body to a higher level just to help the underprivileged."
And while they are ready to climb, the team that you see here was trimmed down at the last minute. Fear of Hurricane Adrian and the heavy rains it will bring to the south made 6 of the expedition members think better of it. But two time Victoria veteran Efrain "Beep" Phillips is undaunted.
Efrain "Beep" Phillips,
"We know weather is out there. We are looking at it and are going back there with every time arranged already so we're going back there and we hope the Almighty Jah gives us the guidance and the chance to do the climb. If not then we will just say that Mother Nature held us back and we'll have another chance to do it. We won't try and go out of the way to break it records. We will just try to see if we can make it although the weather is coming here."
Now as these full knapsacks indicate they are ready and motivated to once more gain the summit. They are hoping that they can duplicate these triumphant images of last year's summit team. So now the next 48 hours, probably the hardest of their lives, will determine if these Victoria venturers can claim the fame that their predecessors did.
The venturers are tonight heading to Maya Center in the Stann Creek District. Once there, a decision will be made on whether to proceed with the climb early tomorrow morning. Again, it is again a fundraising expedition for needy charities and while they climb, the venturers are asking you to call in your pledges. You can make those calls to Gilbert Gordon who is the Public Relations Officer for the Customs Department. He can be reached at 227-7092 or 604-3771.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
