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Tibetan summit bid a battle
for breath
The Straits Times - 20 May 2002
By Alicia Yeo
[BACK]
FOR every breath you take, the two Singapore
mountaineers who climbed Mount Xixabangma had to take five.
At over 8,000 m above sea level on the Tibetan peak, Dr Robert
Goh, 36, and Mr Edwin Siew, 32, not only struggled to breathe
in the thin air, but also had to deal with temperatures of
minus 30 deg C and high winds of 60 knots. And each also had
to lug 35 kg of equipment on his back. Yet the duo reached
the top of the 8,027-m mountain last Thursday afternoon, and
without using conventional aids like bottled oxygen, guides,
pre-fixed ropes or pre-made camps.
Said Dr Goh, during a video conference yesterday: 'We reached
the summit with tears in our eyes, because we had finally
arrived. 'At that height, the mind plays tricks on you, convincing
you to retreat and go for that hot tea back at base camp.
'It was a constant battle not to give up.'
Back at the mountain's advanced base camp now, the expedition
team - made up of Dr Goh, Mr Siew, expedition doctor Mok Ying
Jang, 34, and base-camp manager Lulin Reutens, 55 - were still
gasping for air in the 5,800 m altitude yesterday, while relating
their experiences to expedition patron, Environment Minister
Lim Swee Say, via a video link-up . More than 100 supporters
also attended the session, at sponsor Singapore Pools' Selegie
Road office.
Said Mr Lim: 'By climbing the mountain a more challenging
way, the team's spirit of adventure really touched our hearts.
They have done Singapore proud.'
Once Dr Goh and Mr Siew reached the top, they spent half an
hour taking pictures in the sun and snow, while trying not
to fall off the peak - where there was room for only one person
to stand at a time. Said Mr Siew: 'We were taking baby steps...
the wind was so strong at the summit, we had to squat down.'
Meanwhile, Dr Mok is dealing with the pain of not only breaking
two ribs, but also giving up a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
He had to pull out just before the summit climb, when the
injury occurred after a violent bout of asthmatic coughing.
On the mend now, Dr Mok said: 'I made the heart-wrenching
decision to pull out, but time will tell whether I can go
up again in future.' For now, the group just wants to take
hot showers, their first in two months.
The mountaineers will be back in Singapore on June 5.
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