By ViAnn Prestwich

Vernal Express

Two teenage boys laugh easily as Phil Henderson adjusts their harnesses and gives them final instructions about scaling the 36-foot rock wall at the Uintah Community Center. A third boy stands off to the side eying the wall with trepidation. Within the hour all three boys are laughing and confident as they push toward the top.

“Phil is awesome in his ability to teach,” Program Coordinator Jeff Winterton said.

Henderson’s genius and passion is teaching enthusiastic as well as reluctant climbers the skills—physically and mentally—needed to surpass their own expectations. This spring the 48-year-old plans to take those skills to the highest peak on earth, Mt. Everest. He would be the first African American man to summit the mountain.

As a Vernal resident for the past 10 years, Henderson has taught rock climbing at the recreation center. He is also the Utah River Base Manager for National Outdoor Leadership School. The school takes people of all ages on remote wilderness expeditions, teaching technical outdoor skills, leadership, and environmental ethics.

Henderson has taught hundreds of students in the Uintah Basin, but he’s also trained groups in Nepal, Africa, Alaska and on countless ridges in-between. Now he is raising money to see the top of the world.

Anyone eager to scale the frigid peaks of the Himalayas must be motivated. Henderson has several things inspiring him to climb. First and foremost is his intensive love of climbing. Second he has learned to love those that are involved in the national climbing community. He has taught several of the elite climbers, some of whom are scheduled to be on this expedition with him.

Fifty years ago, the first Americans summited the treacherous slope. Henderson would like to be the first African American man to ascent the world’s tallest mountain.

“Being asked to join this expedition is just an honor,” Henderson said. “I’m definitely honored that I will be the first African-American man. That will be significant. I’m excited to share this with all those folks I work with at the climbing wall. To let people know that someone from Vernal, Utah can do this.”

There were a lot of mountains, both figuratively and literally, Henderson has climbed to qualify him for an invitation to join this year’s guest. A little over 25 years ago, the man was lying on his back on a college football field unable to move. As free safety on the Foothill College Football Team he dove into a play and fractured cervical vertebrate 3 and 4. The break was only hairline and the spinal cord shock was temporary, but contact sports were no longer an option.

For 15 months, the boy who once dreamed of becoming a professional football player, could not drive, attend school or work due to the neck brace he was required to wear. The one thing he could dream about was the hours he had spent fishing and hiking in the Cowles Mountain outside of his boyhood home in San Diego, Calif.

When the physical therapy ended and the brace came off, Henderson was ready for a new life. The new life came when he saw a catalog about the NOLS. His first training was a three month course in Lander, Wyo. In-between future courses, the dedicated outdoorsman worked in sporting good stores, was a whitewater raft guide, acted as a ski instructor and hiked every where he could.

He returned to NOLS and got his instructor course. During his outdoor career, Henderson has successfully acted as guide on Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and Denali.

In 2006, Henderson began working with the Khumbu Climbing School in Phortse, Nepal along the trekking route to Mt. Everest. For the next couple years, the Vernal resident would spend a few weeks every year at the school teaching and learning with the Sherpas.

Henderson discovered that many of the students had been climbing for years, but some didn’t know how to tie a figure-8 or build anchors. He also discovered that some of them didn’t have the leadership skills to voice their opinions on an expedition or pass skills along to others.

NOLS could teach those skills and combined with the high altitude climbing skills the men had they would be very valuable in promoting safety on the mountain.

Henderson got permission to offer scholarships to men who were not only passionate about continuing the work, but also climbers who had a strong desire to teach the skills to others.

So far six Nepali students have participated in NOLS courses and become instructors in KCS. At least some of them will be climbing with Henderson this coming May.

While working in Africa, Henderson met his wife, Brenda. She followed him to Vernal and they now have a 4-year old daughter Bahati. Brenda, who is an operating room nurse in Vernal, would love to be at the base camp when her husband descends.

“She doesn’t want to climb the mountain,” Henderson said. “But to be there when I got down, that would be a lifetime experience, but it’s so expensive. We’re just struggling to get my climb paid for.”

Asking for money has been a humbling experience for Henderson. For permits and infrastructure the cost is $50,000. This price does not include travel to Nepal and then another flight to the mountain.

Henderson has received some backing from companies and as of press time, Henderson was only short about $2,000. He does however want to get a large format camera.

“So the photos are the best quality,” Henderson explained, “so I can give the folks a really good slide show. Everest isn’t really a place for a point and shot camera.”

To prepare for his ordeal, Henderson puts a 60-pound bag on his back and goes hiking. Sometimes he keeps the same backpack full of crampons and stoves and sleeping bags with him as he sets the treadmill incline on high and them marches several miles.

“People look at me strange,” Henderson laughed. “But whatever. . .”

Although the physical preparation is important, the experienced climber recognizes mental preparation is paramount.

“You have to train you body to do what your minds tells you needs to be done,” Henderson explained. “People that don’t have the ability to do what their mind tells them should be done, don’t make it. When the weather gets bad I’m going to go out and hike. When I’m on the mountain I don’t take short cuts. You tie your shoes correctly the first time so you don’t need to take off your gloves to tie them again.... A lot of that is your mind telling your body what it has to do.”

Brenda supports her husband, but they both recognize the dangers involved. Very few years pass that at least one person doesn’t die on the mountain. Henderson said there are times he feels nervous, but not usually.

“I have four goals,” Henderson explained. “First is to come home. Second is to come home with all my body parts. My third goal is to have fun. Fourth goal is to reach the summit.”

“You spend a lot of time in the mountains you know you have to make the right decisions,” Henderson explained. “Some people get summit fever and they go up even if it’s not safe. If it’s not safe I will not go up. I’ll go on home.”

Anyone wanting to donate money or learn more can go to www.fullcircleexpeditions.org.