Nothing beats the adrenaline rush of conquering an extraordinary feat. For mountaineering enthusiast John Paul Narisma, the trek to the foot of the world’s highest peak proved to be a thrilling dream come true—until emergency struck.
An experienced mountaineer, John is no stranger to some of the world’s highest summits. In 1996, he conquered the 24th-highest island peak of Mount Apo in Mindanao which is 2,954 meters above sea level. Last June, he successfully climbed Japan’s tallest mountain and the second-highest volcano in Asia, Mount Fuji. The Fuji trek was particularly grueling as it was a “bullet climb.” Starting at the 5th station, this race-to-the-top approach goes to the top of Mount Fuji without stopping at any of the resting points along the mountain—all before sunrise.
In March 2023, John came across a Facebook post about climbing to the Mount Everest Base Camp. Inspired and determined, he looked for flights to Kathmandu, Nepal. Located on top of the Khumbu Glacier, the Nepal Base Camp is about 5,150 meters above sea level. The ascent is not for the faint of heart.
Like thousands of other international climbers attempting to climb Mount Everest each year, John knew preparation was key. He spent six months training—trail running, climbing, and running at an altitude of 1,000 meters. In August 2023, he climbed Mount Dulang-Dulang—the second highest mountain in the Philippines—to acclimatize for Mount Everest.
From Kathmandu, John traveled to Lukla, a small town and popular arrival point for Everest climbers. Equipped with enthusiasm and hunger, all John needed was food and supplies before he could start the two-day journey to Everest Base Camp. He shopped at the local grocery store but when he tried to check out, he discovered one of his credit cards was blocked. He tried a second credit card from another bank—also blocked. Panicked, John tried his Security Bank credit card. To his relief, it worked.
Finally, he was fully prepared to meet Mount Everest.
While the climb up was notoriously grueling, the climb back down proved to be the most dangerous for John. By the time he reached the town of Namchee Bazaar, located at 3,440 meters, John’s face became visibly swollen and he had trouble breathing. It was every climber’s worst fear: altitude sickness.
Fearing pneumonia, John was quickly hospitalized in Kathmandu. After a day of recovering, John was ready for discharge. However, he was out of cash to cover the medical insurance. Luckily, he was again able to use his Security Bank credit card when all other cards were blocked.
John was delighted that Security Bank played an integral role in his once-in-a-lifetime expedition. “I want to personally thank you for an awesome experience with the Security Bank debit and credit card at Kathmandu, Nepal during my Mount Everest Base Camp Trek,” said John. “In terms of using my Security Bank debit and credit cards, it was seamless [and] smooth without any stumbling blocks and made my Mount Everest Base Camp truly an amazing experience. If I did not bring my Security Bank cards, I do not know what I would do. It was like having a Security Bank teller at my fingertips when most needed.”
John is already dreaming of future conquests, including Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania—the highest peak in Africa and one of the Seven Summits. Following his Mount Everest experience, he knows Security Bank will be his BetterBanking partner anytime, anywhere.
To learn more about Security Bank’s credit card products, visit https://www.securitybank.com/personal/credit-cards/.