A: To climb in alpine style
is to climb with no outside support; to be self-sufficient.
The mountaineer has to carry all his needs, including his
food, tent and water, in his rucksack when he leaves Base
Camp to head for the summit. And there are no sherpas to help
carry his load.
Unlike conventional climbs, there are no re-built camps along
the way; he won't be able to re-stock his supplies or sleep
in pre-built tents. He has to pitch his tent on the mountain
at night and pack it away in his rucksack in the morning.
For more info on the differences between an alpine ascent
and a conventional climb ... click
on!
Q: What's your training schedule
like?
A: The team trains together every
Sunday at Bukit Timah Hill, climbing the steps that wind through
the nature reserve with heavy rucksacks on their backs. Each
man has a heart-rate monitor strapped to his chest to keep
tabs on his heart rate during the run. The weight of the rucksacks
is increased progressively from 15kg for a start to 35kg,
- equivalent to seven 5kg bags of rice!
During the weekdays, each climber would do the same separately
an climbing stairs in HDB blocks instead.
On their own during the week, the climbers follow a strict
regime in their gym work-outs, designed by Leong Chee Mun
to raise their aerobic fitness as well as muscle strength.
This will help them not only in the punishing ascent but also
in adapting to the rarified air in the mountains.
Q:
What is the difference between your expedition and other expeditions?
A: When climbing in the traditional manner, each climber carries
only 12 kg. In our expedition, we will be carrying around
35kg each. The reason is that we will be carrying everything
we need including tents, sleeping bags, clothing, stove, food
climbing gear and other essentials.
With a conventional expedition, there are bottled oxygen to
help the climbers cope with the extremely thin air on the
mountains. There are also pre-built camps where climbers can
rest as they progress up the mountain. Sherpas are also hired
as porters. In an alpine ascent, there will be none of these.
Q: Some people feel there are
too many mountaineering expeditions and one expedition is
the same as the next.
A: Every year or so, our nations'
sportsmen and sportswomen train and attend a variety of international
meets and tournaments where they strive to do better and break
records.
Mountaineering is a sport, like any other sport. Mountaineers
train to achieve greater heights. This expedition will break
new grounds in adventure sports in Singapore. It is equivalent
to setting a record. Succeeding here would put Singapore on
the world map of mountain climbing. Just as Singaporeans would
be proud if one of our nation's sportsmen were to win a medal
in the Asian Games, we hope they would also share in our achievements.
Q: How were the team members
selected? Why is there no woman?.
A: The expedition is such that
we needed experienced mountaineers who had climbed above 7000m.
We inquired among the small circle of experienced climbers
in Singapore, most of whom were our friends. And none of the
names that surfaced were of women.
We also knew from previous experience, that it was of utmost
importance that the team could work well together. Our team
of four climbers are close friends and have climbed together
for many years. We know each other intimately and our experience
also compliment each other. You could say ours is a dream
team.
