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  Electric New Paper 23 Feb 07
Urban warrior, outdoor greenhorn?
Can Singaporeans handle outdoor adventure?

Ordered city living can dull raw survival instincts. Do we know who's the real boss out there? 'Some of us are used to being in control, being on schedule, multi-tasking, Mondays to Fridays. But when you are outdoors, you can't control.' - Mr Edvan Loh, the deputy director of Outward Bound Singapore

By Ng Tze Yong

TWO outdoor mishaps. Both Singaporeans. Tragic. On Saturday, Singaporean Sue Qing Wen died in a diving accident off Pulau Hantu, a 15-minute boat ride from Sentosa. On Monday, a diving mishap in Australia has left 24-year-old Singaporean Serene Teng in a critical condition.

These came about a week after another outdoor incident, this time on the 1,010m-tall Gunung Belumut in Kluang, Johor, where 61-year-old lecturer Francis Pavri got lost for 12 hours.

What can we learn from these cases? An adventurous spirit is to be lauded. But do Singaporeans tend to be complacent when they leave the urban jungle for the woods?

There is a danger in assuming all will go as planned, simply because that's how our ordinary lives tick.

'Some of us are used to being in control, being on schedule, multi-tasking, Mondays to Fridays,' said Mr Edvan Loh, 37, the deputy director of Outward Bound Singapore. 'But when you are outdoors, you can't control. You have to read and anticipate, whether it's the wind, clouds or tides, and accept that you have to change your plans.

'You got to put aside your ego because safety should be your prime consideration.' It's not to say there's no space for meticulous planning in the outdoors. You just need a balance.

'In the wilderness, you cannot achieve your goal without teamwork and a good plan,' said Everest conqueror and adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow. 'Don't forget, reaching the summit is only half the goal. You still need to get back alive.'

Mr Khoo, who leads the occasional mountaineering trip, sometimes finds it hard to convince Singaporeans to take the necessary precautions. 'Singaporeans are always in such a hurry. And our annual leave is so precious,' he said.

GIVE UP OR STAY FOCUSED?

When storm clouds appear on the horizon and you're two hours from the summit, do you carry on or give up? Does being pragmatic mean you accept you can't reach your goal and give up? Or does it mean you stay focused on the summit and persevere?

It boils down to judgment. Judgment that comes only with experience.

'There are preventable accidents and non-preventable accidents,' said Mr Yip Seck Hong, 59, the president of the Singapore Mountaineering Federation.

The former is caused by human error and the latter by freak accidents or natural conditions. 'The trick is to minimise the first and to use your judgment to avoid the second.'

Recently, Singapore has been making new initiatives towards adventure sports. Earlier this month, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean mooted the idea of turning the former landfill in Lorong Halus into an adventure site. The People's Association also has plans to develop a sea and adventure sports club in Marina Bay.

'With more newcomers to adventure sports, we will see an increase in the number of accidents,' said Mr Yip. 'It's like having new drivers.'

Not that all new drivers are careless. In true-blue Singaporean style, adventure-seekers here make the best preparations.

Mr Goh C H, 29, a manager at an adventure gear shop, said: 'My customers ask me all kinds of questions. What temperature a jacket can take, what material a sleeping bag is made of, how much weight a rope can withstand. 'They're willing to pay for good equipment.'

But being well-equipped is different from being tough. How can it be, in a country where 18-year-old boys become soldiers?

Singapore's move towards adventure sport echoes the 'Rugged Society' campaign of the '60s. 'The programme was to make Singaporeans rugged, physically and mentally, to face external and internal threats,' said sociology professor Alexius Pereira from the National University of Singapore.

RUGGED SOCIETY

Singapore doesn't have to worry about tsunamis, earthquakes or volcanos. It's a blessing but the flip side is a generation that is unused to outdoor hardship.

Being mentally rugged is different from being ready for outdoor adventure sports, said Professor Pereira. 'Our forefathers lived tough lives. They weren't into adventure sports. But they were rugged.

'Online gamers are tough too. Just try sitting with them in front of the computers for 10 hours straight.'

But facing the power of Nature calls for a different virtue. Humility.
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