Lance Trumbull(C), Jamie McGuinness(L) and Selebelo Selamolela
© AFP Brian SokolKATHMANDU, Nepal (AFP) - Climbing the 8,848-metre-high (29,028-foot) Mount Everest is the brainchild of Lance Trumbull, who got the idea while mountaineering after a divorce four years ago.
"Throughout time, mountains have been spiritual places. It is where the gods and goddesses lived. It is where people have gone to feel closer to and to speak to God," said Trumbull explaining why he chose to organize the "peace climb."
Among the nine climbers are one from Palestine and two Israelis, whose announcements in their respective homelands that they would join the climb were met with a mixture of delight and derision.
"Fifty percent of people at home are supportive of what I do. But 50 percent of the people I encounter are against it because still there is no peace between our countries," said Ali Bushnaq, the Palestinian climber.
The expedition will last around 65 days. Atheist climbing director Jamie McGuiness thinks that the multi-faith team has a decent chance of reaching the summit.
"Getting up Everest is only half the battle, you have to get down alive," said McGuiness. "We have a great team behind us, we are well supplied and I think we will succeed."
As well as the two Jewish and one Muslim climber other members of the team are Hindu, Buddhist and Christian.
The nine climbers, eight men and one woman, come from the United States, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Israel, Palestine and Nepal.
Japanese electronics maker Panasonic has sponsored a "large chunk" of the estimated 350,000 dollar cost of the "peace climb" and each individual has paid around 10,000 dollars, Trumbull said.
Commercial expeditions to reach the summit usually cost between 20,000 and 50,000 dollars per client.
A documentary team will attempt the summit with the climbers and Trumbull has built a website dedicated to the attempt.
The team will be tacking Everest from the Tibetan side of the mountain, and had been planning to set off Thursday. But a general strike called by Nepalese political parties means that they will depart for base camp early next week.
Climbers of Himalayan peaks have a narrow window between late April and early June as the onset of the summer monsoon rains makes it too dangerous to attempt mountains such as Everest.
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