Ref: 039-2009

Air Malta is supporting the Challenge8000 team in their endeavour to be the first Maltese climbers to reach the top of the world, Mount Everest in May 2010.  The team is made up of three climbers; Marco Cremona, Gregory Attard and Robert Gatt.

Air Malta is supporting this initiative and assisting the team with their travel requirements to enable them to train in preparation of their extreme mountaineering expedition in the Himalayas.

Air Malta has already assisted the team with their travels to the UK where they successfully reached the summits of 39 mountains in the Lake District in just 3 days.  During their visit to the UK, the team also ordered custom-made expedition clothing for the Himalayan expeditions .

On 26th June, the Challenge8000 team left Malta for a 10-day training expedition in Chamonix in the French Alps where they met up with their Everest guide Victor Saunders who led them up various mountain peaks and trained them in such skills as rock climbing, ascending, belaying, crevasse rescue, ice climbing and traversing snow ridges with 500 metre drops on either side. All situations that the Team will encounter in their expeditions in the Himalayas.  

In September 2009, the Challenge8000 Team will attempt to climb Cho Oyu – the 6th highest mountain in the world standing high at an altitude of 8201m.   This will be followed by an attempt to climb the 8848-metre high Everest in May of next year.

Climber Marco Cremona said, “Air Malta’s support is crucial to us as this alleviates a big part of our expenses and allows us to prepare ourselves better for the ambitious challenges ahead of us.  Air Malta and Challenge8000 both represent the high-flying ambitions of many Maltese in their own way.  Air Malta has successfully competed over its 35 years of service giving us Maltese access to a myriad of travel destinations. On the other hand, Challenge8000 represents a dream which requires much physical and mental endurance over an extended period of time.  Incidentally, if we manage to reach the top of the Himalayan giants we will be effectively at the cruising altitude of the Air Malta aircraft jets.’

Air Malta’s assistance forms part of its ‘Committed to the Community’ initiatives that aim to support and encourage local organisations and activities in various sectors be they cultural, social, philanthropic, humanitarian, medical, environmental, heritage and sport, that help the Maltese Community in some way or another.

Air Malta augurs every success to the Challenge8000 team in their attempt to be the first Maltese climbers to make it to the top of the world, Mount Everest.

More information can be obtained from www.challenge8000.net or press@challenge8000.net .

Picture show: Ms Pauline Coleiro, Air Malta Duty Officer presenting the Air Malta assistance to Marco Cremona (centre) and Gregory Attard from the Challenge8000 team.