Singapore teams scale the world's highest summit - Mount Everest

SINGAPORE - A team of four Singaporeans will attempt to scale Mount Everest to mark the nation's 50th birthday this year. The team will set off for Everest Base Camp on March 25 and they plan to summit the mountain between May 28 to 29. Here is a look at previous Singaporean attempts to scale the world's highest peak.

1998: Singapore Everest Team

The first 12-man Singapore Mount Everest team led by mountaineer David Lim left Singapore on March 13. Five climbers - Khoo Swee Chiow, Rozani Maarof, Justin Lean, Robert Goh and Edwin Siew - attempted to reach the summit on May 19 but were stymied by bad weather and the lack of fixed lines along a treacherous section of the trail.

Climbers Edwin Siew and Khoo Swee Chiow reached the 8,848m-high summit six days later on May 25, 1998.

2001: Singapore Latin-American Team

Mountaineer David Lim had a second go at Everest in 2001 with six other climbers from Singapore, Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil. Despite being struck with a rare nerve disorder that left him with a limp after his first expedition, Mr Lim was determined to make the summit. Rejoining him was Mr Rozani Maarof who missed the summit on his first attempt too.

The team, dogged by health problems and bad weather, had to abandon the expedition on May 22.

2009: Singapore Women's Everest Team

The first all-female expedition from Singapore was formed in 2004. The team of six departed for Kathmandu on March 21, 2009. The team climbed five other mountains to prepare for Mount Everest.

Five of the women - Lee Li Hui, Esther Tan, Jane Lee and Lee Peh Gee - reached the peak over two days but Sim Yi Hui had to pull out due to chest pains.

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