Robert Goh took up climbing in 1984
when he was about 18 while pursuing his studies in England.
He was immediately hooked. "Being close to nature was
something that one could not enjoy very much in Singapore,"
he says. From rock climbing to mountaineering, the challenges
became greater and he had to learn to make critical decisions
in order to stay alive on the mountains. "You need the
can-do spirit and most of the time, you can do it, but you
just don't have the head to do it. It is about challenges,"
he says, "for the rewards are tremendous every time you
overcome an obstacle, knowing that you have been able to overcome
the fear within yourself."
Q: What made you decide to
take on Xixabangma? And why an alpine ascent?
A:
After doing Everest and other mountains with oxygen and in
the traditional style, we wanted to push the standards of
mountaineering up another notch by doing it alpine style,
that is, without oxygen and the luxury of pre-built camps.
I think that would be the way people would go mountaineering
in the future - pure team effort and with minimal or no external
help.
At
the moment, very few mountaineers in Singapore can attempt
an alpine ascent of an 8,000m peak; you can count them
on your fingers. If we succeed, not only will we be the
first in South-east Asia to achieve this, more important,
I feel, is that we will be taking the sport in Singapore
into the premier arena in the world of mountaineering.
It will be like entering the finals in an Olympics event.
We have a long way to go to winning a medal, but we are
in the running.
Q: And you think the team you
now have is up to the challenge?
A: Certainly. I think ours
is the best team you can assemble. Not only do we share the
same passion for pushing mountaineering in Singapore to new
heights, we are also close friends whose skills compliment
each other. We understand each other and communicate among
ourselves very well. This is crucial on the mountains. We
believe deeply in teamwork and you can say ours is a dream
team.
Q: What is the difference between
tiredness from exertion and tiredness due to lack of oxygen?
A:
The factors are usually coupled, so it is not always easy
to tell the cause. However, if you are breathing real hard
even when you are not exercising, then you know that it is
due to a lack of oxygen.
Q: What happens when one is
deprived of oxygen?
A: You would not have the
stamina that you usually have at sea level and your reaction
time would be slower. If you are not well acclimatized, you
might get altitude sickness and you can die from it.
Q: What are the other risks
involved?
A: There is a 50% chance of
danger from bad weather. The weather plays an important part
in getting us safely back from the mountains. We can get killed
if there is an avalanche, or we can get blown off the mountain
when we are high up in the open. These are factors that we
cannot control and we can only try to predict the weather
and make decisions when we are there.
Q: What do you think of death
on the mountains?
A: I think it is more meaningful
to die on the mountains than in some domestic accident. I
feel that (pause) if I die from challenges that I passionately
believe in, planned and set out to accomplish, I would have
no regrets. In their very essence, challenges are what make
life worth the living. Life can be a void without them.
Q: So preparation plays
a big part in reducing the risk factors?
A: I would say preparation
plus experience.
Q: How long have you
all been preparing for this?
A: Everest took us three
to four years. Each of these preparations period adds
to our experience. We also try to climb a mountain every
year for the training and experience.
Q: What other preparations
do you all have to do besides getting fit physically?
A: We need to be mentally
prepared as well. Half the battle is won if you are
mentally prepared and on the mountains, it will help
you a lot in maximizing your physical abilities.
Q: What other preparations
do you all have to do besides getting fit physically?
A: We need to be mentally
prepared as well. Half the battle is won if you are mentally
prepared and on the mountains, it will help you a lot in maximizing
your physical abilities.
Q: What is the estimated cost
of this expedition?
A: Between $600,000 and $700,000.
Q: What do you think are your
responsibilities on this expedition?
A: I feel that I have not
only to strategize our moves, but I also have to steer our
team towards raising the standards of mountaineering in Singapore
and promote it in alpine style. To me, getting to the top
is not very important but a bonus in the heart of what we
are doing. Here, we are trying to push the limits and sometimes,
more can be learned from failure than success. I would say
pushing the limits of mountaineering in Singapore would be
one of our main responsibilities, whether or not we reach
the top.
Q: What advice would you give
to people who are interested in mountaineering?
A: They should start with
rock climbing first to learn the basic skills of climbing.
Then go on to less technical mountains where you can enjoy
the wilderness and get a feel of the mountains. There will
come a time when you will decide to go into the mountains
to do a technical climb and you can take it from there.
Q: Anything special that would
accompany you up Xixabangma?
A:
(Laughs) Not really. The team members are whom I consider
special and I think I am privileged to be with them. Without
any oxygen, it is going to be tough enough just bringing yourself
up!
