First Singaporean Women Team Conquer Mt Everest

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, May 20 (Bernama) -- Three Singaporean women became the republic's first women team to conquer Mt Everest when they reached the summit of the world's tallest mountain in Nepal early Wednesday morning, reports said.

Lee Li Hui, 27, Esther Tan, 26, and Jane Lee, 25, arrived at 3.45am, 3.54am and 4.43am on Wednesday Nepal time respectively, reports said quoting a spokesman from Singtel, the local sponsor of telecommunication equipment for the climbers.

Another foreign media report said the Singaporean women reached the summit along with the first oldest American climber Dawes Eddy, 66, and a US Astronaut Scott Parazynski.

The Singapore women began their ascent on May 8.

Clear weather and low winds on Mt Everest on Tuesday allowed at least 20 climbers to scale the 8,850-metre peak from the Nepalese side while dozens more were reportedly moving up the icy slopes, the Nepal mountaineering authority said.

It said there were dozens more who were heading up the slopes and expected to summit in a day or two because of the improved weather.-- BERNAMA