SPD’s flag once again fluttered in the cold winds atop one of the highest points on earth as veteran mountaineer David Lim flew it when he made an ascent of a 6,000-metre high peak in Nepal on 22 May.

David was struck down by Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare and serious nerve disorder, shortly after leading Singapore’s first Everest expedition in 1998. He was paralysed from the eyes down and spent six months in hospital. David survived but came out of the ordeal partially disabled in both legs.

Despite his mobility impairment, David continued in his passion as an adventurer, conquering many peaks along the way. The ascent of the 6,059-metre high peak Chulu Far East was one of the boldest goals he had set for himself for 2016. Even after reaching the peak, the adventurer and his team continued to brave the harsh weather and brutal elements to trek along the summit ridge of Chulu Far East, traversing 4km over two days, and tackling two virgin peaks en route.

One can hardly imagine the brutal elements and treacherous terrain David faced: “We had snow showers the day before the summit climb, and then a lot of it the same night. By morning, the upper half of the mountain was dusted with a lot of fresh snow. A stiff breeze began to blow, making our hands freeze when not active.”

“We then discovered there was half a foot to a full foot of snow covering hard, slippery water ice, the hardest kind of surface to manage on the 45-50º slopes for me. After 10 hours of hard climbing, the slope steepened, and then narrowed to a knife–edge ridge just before the summit. At the top, my team and I were just teetering on an icy fin, with a small snow stake as our sole anchor point. A safe return beckoned and it took another five hours to pick our way down safely to our camp. Thankful and grateful,”

Our heartiest congratulations to David and we look forward to his next adventure!