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.
