MANILA, Philippines — For all his climbing exploits, mountaineer Romi Garduce admits he is just “a tadpole” swimming in the company of the world’s greatest climbers.

Fresh from reaching the summit of the 16,067-feet Vinson Massif in Antarctica three weeks ago to become the first Filipino to conquer the seven highest mountains in seven continents, Garduce said during a press gathering Tuesday night in Makati that he will likely take it nice and easy this year and concentrate on preaching the gospel of mountain-climbing.

In 2013, Garduce said he will hit the road again in pursuit of pulling off more feats, singling out an expedition to the North and South Poles as tops on his list of priorities aside from joining an elite cast of climbers who have been to other stratospheric mountains of each continent.

“There are a lot of options,” said Garduce, who officially summated Vinson Massif on January 5 after leaving Manila for Antarctica on Dec. 23, passing through Japan, the US mainland, the Chilean capital of Santiago and onwards to Punta Arenas, his jump-off point to Antarctica.

Garduce was supposed to be joined in the summit by another experienced climber, Levi Nayahangan, but he fell sick along the way.

“I suffered from pneumonia and was told by doctors not to pursue it,” said Nayahangan, who joined Garduce during the Q&A with the media that was arranged by Garduce’s supporters GMA-7 and the Primer Group of Companies.

Apart from reaching Vinson Masssif, where temperatures can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius, Garduce has also climbed Mount Everest, Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Elbrus, McKinley, Denali Peak, Kosciuszko and Carstenz Pyramid.

Still, Garduce feels a bit uncomfortable when people start looking at him as though he had descended from the clouds.

“There are more accomplished climbers (from other countries),” said Garduce, citing that Filipinos are just in the process of becoming aware of mountain climbing.