SMALL STEPS, HIGHEST PEAK

MAJ Lee Peh Gee bares all about her 5-year training stint and her next Everest

Literally having the world at your feet is something that only a handful of people around the globe have experienced.

On 22 May, 32-year-old Major (MAJ) Lee Peh Gee, Deputy Head Logistics, Headquarters Signals and Command Systems, joined the ranks of these elite few, making history as part of Singapore's first all-woman team to successfully reach the 8,850m-high summit of the world's tallest mountain.

The admirable feat is even more impressive considering the fact that about four years ago, it was a struggle for her to scale the ice-climbing wall at SAFRA Yishun, which stands at just 18m. In fact, MAJ Lee had no experience in sport climbing before joining the team in 2004, and was not even the "sporty type" to begin with.

The journey

In most people's minds, reaching the summit of Mount Everest would be a grand life-changing achievement. But for MAJ Lee, it was the journey, and not the destination, which is her biggest takeaway from the whole experience.

"It's not the half-an-hour on the summit that changes you, but the five years of growth that enables you to stand on top of the mountain for half an hour... The Everest ascent was more of a bonus, a nice closure to the project," she told PIONEER.

Indeed, the amount of time and effort which all the team members put into training had been a test of not just their physical fitness, but also their grit and commitment.

Gradually increasing in intensity from three to six days a week, their training consisted of regular gym sessions, 10 to 15km long runs, four-hour hikes up Bukit Timah Hill as well as staircase climbs up 30-storey HDB blocks carrying a 20kg backpack and 5kg ankle weights strapped on. Besides this gruelling training regime, they climbed mountains such as Cho Oyu in Tibet, the sixth highest mountain in the world.

Juggling work, family life and intensive physical training can take its toll on any person, and MAJ Lee admitted candidly that there were moments of doubt when she would question whether it was all worth it just to climb "a big rock".

"During those times, my team-mates would help me put things into perspective by telling me I just needed experience and that I was stronger than I thought," she said. "You don't take a giant leap to climb Everest; it's through a process of accomplishing smaller milestones and climbing smaller mountains first."

The destination

Discipline and determination were crucial during the Everest expedition. In addition to braving the elements, MAJ Lee had to steel herself against the possibility of an avalanche at the infamous Khumbu Icefall, one of the most dangerous sections of the southern route up the mountain.

On 7 May, a day before the team made their first summit push from Everest Base Camp, a major avalanche occurred. A Sherpa guide died, and two climbers were swept into a crevasse. Although the two climbers were later rescued, MAJ Lee was admittedly worried, knowing that the team would have to cross the Icefall within the next few hours.

She said: "The fear is always there, but it makes me even more cautious, which helps to keep me safe."

And she eventually achieved her dream of conquering Mount Everest on 22 May at 8.11am (Singapore time).

The aftermath

For now, the team is focusing their energies on conducting the Aspiring Mountaineers Programme, a community outreach initiative launched by them in August last year, for schools such as Cedar Girls' Secondary School.

As for MAJ Lee, she is already setting her sights on other "Everests" to conquer. "I have no concrete plans as yet, but now that I've been to the highest place in the world, one of the next things I'd like to try is going to the hottest place and doing a desert marathon," she said.

"One of the things this experience has taught me is that everyone has it in them to accomplish anything they want to do...as long as they're willing to try and take the first step to making it happen," she added.