No stopping for Lee to conquer Everest despite sprained ankle

DINGBOCHE, Nepal: A sprained right ankle has not stopped Malaysia's oldest mountain climber James Lee Chong Meng, 68, to continue his hike to the Everest Base Camp (EBC).
Lee, who is participating in the Lions Mount Everest Expedition (MEE) 2016, sprained his ankle when he slipped after stepping on a slippery piece of rock while on the way to Dingboche, located at 4,410 metres above sea level.
"I did not realise the rock was slippery as I was walking very fast.
"My sprained ankle which became swollen, however, has not dampened my spirit to continue the climb to the EBC," he told Bernama.
He said the condition of his ankle had improved after it was given a massage by another hiker, Desmond Tee, 56.
Lee said among the challenges he faced during the hike to the EBC were the rocky trek, hilly terrain and cold weather, which gave him a running nose and cough.
"The wind was also strong, causing sand dust to fly about during the climb to the EBC," he noted.
Lee, who has over 20 years of experience in mountain climbing had conquered several mountains including Mount Kinabalu, Mount Rinjani in Indonesia, Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Ama Dablam in Nepal.
He began his climb to Mount Everest, which is 8,848 metres high, on March 31 and is expected to complete his mission in 70 days.
Accompanying the team are two professional sherpas, Ngaa Tenji, 33, and Ang Temba, 44. Also with Lee on the hike to the EBC was climber Sherine Leong, 40.
As the official media covering the expedition, Bernama has sent three representatives, reporter Muhammad Afiq Mohd Asri, 25, photographer Zulfadhli Zulkarnain, 23, and Bernama TV cameraman Fazril Amirul, 23.
The weather at Dingboche around 8am (local time) today was cold, with the temperature reaching four degrees Celsius.
The scenery along the climb was breathtaking, with scenic villages dotting the mountain terrain. — Bernama