DL graduate makes history as part of first all-Black team to conquer Everest

DETROIT LAKES — Carefully climbing through a snow-filled landscape, Eddie Taylor was cloaked in darkness. The only light emanated from his head lamp and the light carried by the Sherpa leading the way up Mount Everest. When he reached the top, the 2008 Detroit Lakes High School graduate made history by becoming part of the first all Black climbing team to ascend the storied mountain.

“We did it ya’ll!” He typed on his Instagram account at 2:40 a.m. on May 12, 2022.

Contributed

The journey takes climbers 29,032 feet into the sky between the border of China and Nepal. For comparison, commercial aircraft have a cruising altitude of 30,000 to 38,000 feet.
“We left April 2 and got back to the U.S. on May 19,” Taylor said, noting his crew originally planned a 70-day affair, but because of agreeable weather conditions it was cut to about 50 days. “Some may think climbing Mount Everest is reserved for elite mountaineers. I hope we showed it is accessible to everyone.”

The son of Linda Jackson began exploring mountain climbing after moving to Colorado to attend university. As his life shifted from college student to college graduate, Taylor — a high school science teacher and track coach — met mountain climbers.

Contributed / Eddie Taylor

Among them was a man with a vision — Phil Henderson. Henderson wanted an all-Black team to summit Mount Everest as a way to encourage other minority youth to get outdoors and try sports that are considered non-traditional for some minorities.

According to the team’s website, Full Circle , Henderson “has worked in the outdoor industry for almost three decades.” He has also been on expeditions to Denali, led an all-Black team ascent to Mount Kilimanjaro in 2018, and tackled Mount Kenya.

To take the journey, the crew of 11 people had to be physically fit and financially solvent. Taylor noted the typical cost for a trip up the mountain can range from $50,000 to $150,000. He explained the cost included airfare, equipment, guides and covering bills back home while out of the country.

When a major newspaper outlet picked up the story, the sponsorships and equipment donations came quickly.

“We put together a presentation, and in the end more than half of the funds came from corporations and outdoor equipment sponsors,” Taylor said. “After about four months we had raised two-thirds of what we needed.”

Once the group arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, they flew into a nearby valley and began the first part of the hike to the mountain’s base camp. The journey was breathtaking, with jutting peaks as the backdrop.

“That first part was awesome and amazing,” Taylor said, noting the hike to base camp took about 10 days. “We all brought a spouse or family member (for that section). I brought my sister Rose.”

The 10-day journey included six days of hiking and four days of rest to allow their bodies to acclimate to the higher altitudes.

Contributed / Eddie Taylor

“If you go up too fast you can get sick,” he said. “The maximum elevation increase per day was about 2,000 feet.”

The group stayed at tea houses along the way. There, they enjoyed home-cooked meals and time with Sherpas, or Nepali guides. By watching their way of life, Taylor witnessed the efficiency and strength of a team mentality.

“One Sherpa would tie the other's shoes, so that the one carrying a heavy pack wouldn’t have to bend over,” he said. “I think, in the U.S., our mentality is to be self-sufficient.”

After reaching base camp, the group began days of ascending and descending the mountain. Taylor explained that the practice prevents health calamities, because higher elevations make recovery times longer and more difficult. By descending, the body is able to rejuvenate for another strenuous hike up the mountain. If one were to hike straight up without descending, the likelihood of an untimely demise increases.

“Everything is hard that high up, even walking,” he said.

Contributed / Eddie Taylor

Taylor said the first ascent ended at the first camp. When they reached the camp, they returned down the mountain to the base camp. The second trip up the mountain they reached the second camp, but again returned to base camp at the end of the day. They even climbed to the third camp on the mountain and returned to the base camp before taking a five day recovery period. After which, the group climbed the mountain with the peak in mind.

“The most challenging part was navigating the heat,” he said. “In the lower part you hike through a valley with snow and ice to your left, to your right and under you. The air is cold but when the sun is shining you feel like you are walking in an oven. Then, when you go to bed it’s negative 30 or 40 degrees.”

The crew reached the peak on their own terms, with only one member having to end the journey early due to elevation sickness.

“The higher we went up the sicker he felt,” Taylor said. “He tried to recover but that high up the body doesn’t recover. By the time we got to the third camp it hit him hard and he had to go back down.”

Being the earth’s highest mountain above sea level draws thousands to attempt to summit Mount Everest. But, not all are able to survive the elevation increases, temperature shifts and natural hazards, like avalanches.

According to National Geographic magazine, as of the end of the 2018 season, the Himalayan Database reports that 295 people are known to have died climbing Everest, while there have been 9,159 successful summit climbs by 5,294 people.

Now that Taylor is one of the few who have reached the summit of Mount Everest, he has received a bit of fan mail.

“I have received a few emails since I got back,” he said. “One was from a guy who said he wanted to climb Kilimanjaro in Africa, but his wife said he couldn’t do it — that we don’t do stuff like that. After seeing us climb, he decided he could do it.”

Taylor is happy their story inspired a stranger in Africa. He hopes the story of his team’s accomplishment encourages people of all ages and races to set down technological devices and step into nature to explore new peaks, valleys and cultures.