KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s oldest mountain climber James Lee Chong Meng who is in the Lions Mount Everest Expedition (MEE 2016) will begin his ascend to Everest Camp One after blessings from a Lama priest at a ‘pooja’ ceremony on Friday.
According to local belief, the traditional ceremony is aimed at ensuring a safe journey for Lee and the entourage in their quest to conquer Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.
The ceremony is usually conducted for the Sherpa community before they proceeded to higher camps from Everest Base Camp (EBC).
“The ceremony is usually held in the morning on specific dates depending on the weather,” said Lee who is now in EBC when contacted by Bernama.
Lee said he would commence his acclimatising process from EBC to Everest Camp One and return to EBC, before climbing to Everest Camp Two and returning to the EBC. The same process would be carried out for Everest Camp Three and Everest Camp Four in stages to get acclimatised with the higher altitude.
The expedition organised by Lions Club International District 308 B1 was aimed at raising the people’s awareness of the environment and to demonstrate the spirit of ‘Malaysia Boleh’.
The former engineer said training for the climb would be conducted several times to get acclimatised before launching the final assault to conquer the peak next month.
On his health and fitness, Lee said he was in good health and felt confident while the weather was reported to be fair.
Lee who began climbing mountains as a hobby in his 40’s, had reached the peaks of several mountains, including Mount Kinabalu, Mount Rinjani in Indonesia, Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Ama Dablam in Nepal. On March 31, Lee began his dream mission of conquering Mount Everest at a height of 8,848m and is expected to accomplish his goal in 70 days. — Bernama
Also participating in the climb are two professional Sherpas namely Ngaa Tenji, 33, and Ang Temba, 44. — Bernama