What is MIR?

Make It Real (MIR) is a student mountaineering club based in National University of Singapore (NUS), a subclub of the NUS Students Sports Club. We are the first and only student club in Singapore to do high altitude mountaineering of above 20,000ft. The club has also produced notable mountaineers such as Teo Yen Kai and Chow E-Fung who has summited Mount Everest with the NUS Centennial Everest Team. The Singapore Women's Everest Team 2008 is also initiated by past members of MIR, Jane and Yi Hui.

History

The present mountaineering scene in Singapore has been steadily improving for the past few years, with pioneer Singaporean expeditions to places like Xixabangma and Everest. Since the success of these expeditions, there is a growing awareness in the sport of mountaineering. However, despite all this public awareness, mountaineering is still considered to be inaccessible to the common Singaporean, as there is no proper avenue to nurture such interests. The main expeditions carried out so far involves a talented but small pool. This has changed with the establishment of the Make It Real (MIR) mountaineering programme.

The Make It Real Subclub's objective is to expand this talent pool. Initially mooted in 2001 as a one-off programme by Dr Robert Goh and team members of the Xixabangma 2002 team, they trained the first batch of MIR students to prepare them for an expedition in May 2002 with the aim of passing on their mountaineering skills and expedition-planning experience. Since then, Make It Real has evolved over the years into a fully-fledged subclub. Organised by students for students, we are the first group of Singaporean students (of any institution or school) involved in a serious Himalayas mountaineering expedition.

From 2004 onwards, MIR officially came under NUS Sports Club, as one of the 29 subclubs.

Objectives

We aim to nurture young mountaineering talents and build up the base of mountaineers in Singapore. More generally, the target outcome is to inspire youths to live their dreams, and 'educate' youths both in and out of the club that mountaineering and other adventure sports are feasible and enriching in a modern lifestyle.

More importantly, MIR is designed to imbue students with the spirit of adventure and groom them into new mountaineers, and in the process, promote a balanced life beyond studies and work.

MIR Advisors

Dr Robert Goh and his team are currently taking on advisory roles in the Make It Real program as seniors from preceding batches are now taking over the running of the program, passing down their skills and lessons learnt from their respective expeditions to each incoming batch.

“When climbing in a team, the ones on top — usually the better climbers — would always let the ropes down to those below to help them get up. That's how the less experienced climbers learn the skills and later become leaders.”
-	Dr Robert Goh, Team Leader, Singapore Xixabangma Expedition 2002

MIR Club Details

Subclub Brief

Potential candidates must currently be undergraduates or postgraduates of the National University of Singapore (NUS) above the age of 18 and preferably have some rock climbing and outdoor experiences. Aspiring candidates will be put through a series of stringent selection tests and assessments to determine their suitability. The final decision on the selection will be made by members of the Singapore Xixabangma Expedition 2002 and alumni members of the Make It Real subclub.

Recruitment for the club starts in August every year. Members of the club not only have to undergo tough physical and technical skills training; the students are exposed to the different aspects of expedition management including public relation skills, fund-raising tactics, outdoor first aid, and logistics planning. The senior MIR group along with members of the Singapore Xixabangma team imparts these and other skills to the new students of the club.

After an initial year of training in Singapore, a selected group is sent overseas for a Technical Mountaineering Course during their vacation break in May. This is carried out overseas where the students would be exposed to various snow and ice conditions absent in local trainings, and might even get to climb a peak at the end of the course.

Upon their return, the students will share their experiences and spread awareness to other youths in NUS, schools, the adventure circle and the community at large through talks, photo exhibitions, workshops and publications.

In the following year, with the experience from the overseas Technical Mountaineering Course, the students will undergo further training and assessments, and plan their own exciting expedition to the Himalayas with guidance from past alumni members. They would also help to guide new members of the club and continue to spread awareness about mountaineering among the youth community.

Cost breakdown and funding

The budget for the club comprises three major components: Local planning and training, an overseas Technical Mountaineering Course (TMC) for the initial year and the student mountaineering expedition in the subsequent year. TMC is a specialized overseas course that equips the participants with the knowledge of essential safety procedures. The location also allows for the essential transfer of the skills learnt, to snow-and-ice conditions. This ensures the safety of participants in actual expeditions, making it a pre-requisite to snow- and ice-climbing.

The expedition is then the culmination of their learning, a chance to integrate all their skills and knowledge, with seniors advising when necessary. The cost per student will work out to about $10,000 for 2 years and the students are expected to raise their own funds. As this is a self-supporting programme, fund-raising is a team effort and the students have to work hard to canvass for funds from potential sponsors and to fulfill sponsorship obligations.

Subclub Activities in Detail

Local Training Schedule
Serious commitment and discipline are involved in the MIR subclub during the rigorous training schedule under the charge of a training co-ordinator. Training takes place at least 4 times a week, in a strict schedule planned by the students with help from the co-ordinator. These include carrying a loaded pack up Bukit Timah Hill, stairs-climbing with a loaded pack, long treks, long-distance runs, gym work and personal conditioning. These sessions are to improve physical strength, stamina and mental resilience, while building team spirit, which will be critical for the expedition. Besides the strenuous physical training, students will also be trained in rock-climbing and technical rope skills and techniques necessary for high-altitude climbing.

Planning and Preparation

a.	Expedition meetings once a week to discuss expedition-related issues such as fund-raising, training progress, equipment, logistics.
b.	Lessons will be conducted on expedition and mountain-related topics.
c.	Meetings with potential sponsors to learn the ropes of public relations, professional presentation, negotiations and commitment to sponsors.

Overseas Technical Mountaineering Course
This specialized course is a pre-requisite to snow- and ice-climbing and cannot be conducted locally. The senior Make It Real leaders will recommend an internationally recognized mountaineering institute to conduct the course.

a.	Syllabus includes use of snow and ice tools, glacier travel, self arrest, crevasse rescue, mountain environment awareness, snow and ice survival craft, mountain navigation, setting of camps in snow and ice environments and mountain first aid.
b.	The course will impart skills needed for climbing with other experienced climbers or guides in a snow and ice environment of moderate difficulty.
b.	The course allows participants to practise their snow and ice skills in the foreign snow environment under experienced guides, and serve as an assessment for the final selection for the expedition in the following year.

Student Mountaineering Expedition
Students who have completed the Technical Mountaineering Course can look forward to planning a moderate mountaineering expedition to the Nepal Himalayas. The students will be given full autonomy with supervision from the senior Make It Real leaders, who will take on an advisory role. All expedition-related issues will be discussed and have to be carried out by the students themselves.

These include forming the team and individual roles, research on the climbing route, training and mental preparation, budgeting and fund-raising, booking and engaging an agent in Nepal, sourcing for equipment and other necessary items. The challenge of taking charge of an expedition, from the point when the plan is formulated, to preparation and finally executing it until returning to Singapore, will be a valuable learning experience, as well as putting into practice the skills acquired during the Technical Mountaineering Course.

Spreading Awareness
Members of the club will hold photo exhibitions, and conduct talks, workshops and presentations for the university community, schools and the public to share their mountaineering experiences and aspirations. This is to raise the awareness of young student mountaineers and to inspire other youths to achieve their dreams.

They will also continue to pass on whatever skills and mountaineering knowledge they have learnt to every new batch of aspiring young students recruited every year. This will eventually expand the base of young mountaineers in singapore and hopefully achieve the long-term goal of nurturing world-class mountaineers for the future.

Typical Timeline

August - May (in the initial year)	Local training and preparation
May/June (at the end of the first year)	Overseas Technical Mountaineering Course
July (at the start of the second year)	Planning for recruitment for the new batch
August - May (in the second year)	Training and Planning for Expedition to the Himalayas
May - June (at the end of the second year)	Student-Led Expedition to the Himalayas
July (at the end of the second year)	Expedition debrief and Planning for recruitment for the new batch

There will be expedition-related portfolios that students will take up. These would include aspects such as management, planning, logistics, training, fund raising and execution of the plans. Students will also raise awareness about mountaineering by sharing their experiences through exhibitions, talks, workshops and publications.