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Singaporeans aim for Tibetan peak - with no oxygen support.
The Straits Times - 28 January 2001
By Chan Kay Min
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SINGAPORE's mountaineers are getting tougher and tougher. Adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow, 36, has conquered the seven highest summits in each continent, and is now all set to take part in an expedition to the North Pole next month.

And, after climbing Mount Everest and Mount Vinson in the South Pole, the mountaineers have taken up a new and daring challenge - scaling the world's 14th highest peak without oxygen support. The target is the 8,027m-high Shishapangma in Tibet.

The oxygen level on mountains above 8,000 m is less than half of what one gets at sea level: Temperatures plunge as low as -40 deg C, and the winds blow at up to 160 kmh. At that height, the climatic condition is called 'the death zone'.

The five mountaineers who will head for Tibet include Dr Robert Goh Ee Kiat, 35, Dr Mok Ying Jang, 34, and Mr Edwin Siew Cheok Wai, 32. All three took part in both the South Pole (2000) and Mount Everest (1998) expeditions.

The other two are Mr Leong Chee Mun, 37, and Mr Johann Annuar, 27, who were also part of the Everest team. Mr Johann, who will be the non-climbing member, will be in charge of communications and support at the base camp in Tibet.

Climbing Shishapangma will not be easy. As of 1999, 19 out of 167 mountaineers have died while attempting to conquer it.

Dr Goh, the expedition leader, said: "Under the extreme conditions in the death zone, the climber is only thinking about survival.

"Climbing without supplementary oxygen is a challenge and the purest form of the sport. We want to attempt this feat to raise the level of mountaineering in Singapore to the next level."

The team plans to train for two months before attempting the climb between March and May next year. In the conventional way, a series of well-stocked camps are set up along the ascent route. Climbers then tackle the ascent by moving from one camp to another.

Dr Goh said: "For the coming climb, we will not use the conventional method. Instead, we will acclimatise ourselves by doing partial ascents up Shishapangma.

"On the final push, we will descend to the base camp and start climbing again without the benefit of pre-built camps or supplementary oxygen." The team will carry a load of about 35 kg each.

In the meantime, they are seeking $500,000 in sponsorship. The conquests of both Mount Vinson and Mount Everest by Singaporeans have sparked interest in mountaineering and adventure sports here.

Rock and wall climbing have gained popularity, so much so that the Singapore Mountaineering Federation estimates that it needs to double the number of its instructors to 54, to meet the growing demand.