(Tumon, Guam) Since 1970, the devoted Catholics of Guam have made an annual procession up Mt. Lamlam in honor of the Easter celebration. Carrying a cross, the procession climbs the world�s tallest mountain making stops along the way at the 12 Stations of the Cross, which are marked along the path.

The first procession up Mt. Lamlam was made in 1970 by church parishioners from the village of Mongmong, located in the central part of Guam. Since then, the procession has grown to include the faithful from all the island�s villages as well as members from other faiths and people simply interested in making the climb to the top of Mt. Lamlam. This year, the procession took place the morning of Good Friday, April 6, 2007. While not in any geography or history book, Mt. Lamlam is recognized by many as being the tallest mountain in the world from below sea level, a fact supported by U.S. Geological Surveys. Mt. Lamlam extends in to the Marianas Trench, the deepest trench in the world�s surface, which is created by the meeting of the Pacific and Philippine tectonic plates. Textbooks have listed Hawaii�s Moana Kea as the world�s tallest mountain for years, but Mt. Lamlam is actually taller by approximately 4,057 feet. Catholicism is the predominant religion of Guam, with 98% of the island being Roman Catholics, however, the annual procession up Mt. Lamlam is an event anticipated by all denominations and those interested in climbing the tallest mountain in the world.

Visitors are encouraged to come to Guam, the only place in the world where you can climb the tallest mountain in the world and swim in the world�s deepest sea � all on the same day, without needing a snowsuit or a wet suit!

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Media Contact: Cindy Hanson chanson@visitguam.org 671-646-5278