Singapore mountaineers to scale Mount Everest without
oxygen
SINGAPORE : Three seasoned mountaineers will climb Mount Everest
again next March.
But this time, they will do it without the help of bottled
oxygen.
If they succeed, they will be the first in Southeast Asia to
achieve such a feat.
Six years since he first planted Singapore's flag on Mount Everest,
mountaineer Edwin Siew now wants a second attempt at that
top-of-the-world experience.
Only this time, without the help of bottled oxygen.
The expedition next March will be led by veteran mountaineer Robert
Goh, together with Lim Kim Boon and Edwin Siew.
To prepare themselves, Goh and Lim scaled Cho Oyu peak in Tibet
without oxygen tanks.
At 8,200 metres, Cho Oyu is just 650 metres below Mount
Everest.
Mr Lim Kim Boon, Expedition Member, said: "The experience in Cho
Oyu is very important, without using oxygen up to 8,200 metres. So
that gives us great confidence that we should be able to climb this
8,800 metres on Everest next year."
To cultivate a new generation of mountaineers in Singapore, the
trio will scale Mount Everest with five youths from the National
University Centennial Everest Team.
But the youths, who were on the Cho Oyu trip, will climb Everest
with the help of bottled exygen.
Mr Edwin Siew, Expedition Member, said: "Definitely no distraction
at all. Perhaps it's very much of helping one another. Having the
youth team to come in they might be able to give us a different
point of view so that we are able to give feedback and receive
feedback from the new team. So it's something of a win-win
situation for us as well as the new team.
"That's one of the drives, to broaden the drive of the
mountaineering scene in Singapore and to encourage the youth, and
this hopefully would be the benchmark for the youth to spin off
from this expedition and hopefully enthuse more younger
climbers."
Rear Admiral Teo Chee Hean, President of Singapore National Olympic
Council, said: Reaching lofty heights is not their only objective.
They want also to pass on their skills to young mountaineers.
"I encourage all young people eligible for their programmes to take
advantage of the opportunity. Not only will you learn how to climb
mountains, but you will also acquire such values as commitment and
team spirit, discipline and passion."
At 8,000 metres, mountain climbers enter what is called the 'death
zone', where hypoxia, or the lack of oxygen sets in. But that's the
least of the team's concerns now.
Dr Robert Goh, Expedition Leader, said: "The biggest concern now is
the funds that we are lack of. At this moment now, we are aiming to
raise $100,000.
As you know, over the past two years sponsorship has been very
tough and the market has also been down. So up to now we have tried
to raise this amount of money.
"We are also selling our expedition name. You can name our
expedition after you, for only $50,000. For example, you can call
it the Solomon Mount Everest Expedition and be part of our
expedition!"
Also launched at the event, a book on Mount Xixabangma writen by
Robert Goh.
The team will be selling the book and T-shirts to raise funds for
its Everest expedition.
