KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Malaysia’s oldest mountaineer, James Lee Chong Meng is getting closer to completing his Mount Everest mission by beginning his final phase of climbing from Everest Base Camp heading to the mountain summit at 2am today.
The 68-year-old, who is on the Lions Mount Everest Expedition (MEE) 2016 mission, is expected to reach the summit in five or six days.
One of the Lions MEE escort team, climber Sherine Leong, 40, who accompanied Lee up to the base camp said Lee was in good health and confident to reach the summit while the weather was reported to be fair, so far.
“From the Everest Base Camp, he will ascend to Second Everest Camp at a height of 6,400 metres above sea level, and continue to climb to the Third Everest Camp at a height of 7,200 metres above sea-level and the Fourth Everest Camp, and he is expected to reach the Mount Everest summit earliest by Friday,” she said when contacted by Bernama yesterday.
She said the highly-spirited Lee could only be contacted by satellite phone.
The expedition, which was organised by the Lions Club International District 308 B1, is aimed at boosting awareness of the environment in society and demonstrating the ‘Malaysia Boleh’ spirit.
Lee, who started mountain-climbing as a hobby in his 40s, has scaled several mountains including Mount Kinabalu, Mount Rinjani in Indonesia, Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Ama Dablam in Nepal.
He aims to conquer the 8,848 metre-high Mount Everest in 70 days since beginning his quest on March 31.
Accompanying him are Sherpas, Ngaa Tenji, 33, and Ang Temba, 44. — Bernama
