<photos: 1st and 40th floors at Block 79D, Toa Payoh, Singapore>
since there are not many mountains (none in fact) in Singapore, many climbers train at the 40-storey Block 79D at Toa Payoh Central to hone their climbing skills - largely endurance training. although Block 79D is no Mount Everest, going up and down the 40 storeys ten times can really test your willpower.
in many respects, the 1st floor of Block 79D is like a basecamp, a place where you can plan how many times you want to go up (and down), rest and prepare for the next set of climb up the stairs.
important decisions are discussed at basecamps - when to climb, how much risks to take, when to turnaround if the weather turns bad, what happens when a disaster strikes, how should an injured climber be handled, etc.
climbing a mountain is not just about the summit. it's also about whether right decisions are made at the basecamp. the right preparation and the right mindset makes the difference in whether you reach the peak. in life, don't just focus on reaching the peak. spend more time at your own basecamp. #bcc
“Unfortunately, the sort of individual who is programmed to ignore personal distress and keep pushing for the top is frequently programmed to disregard signs of grave and imminent danger as well. This forms the nub of a dilemma that every Everest climber eventually comes up against: in order to succeed you must be exceedingly driven, but if you’re too driven you’re likely to die. Above 26,000 feet, moreover, the line between appropriate zeal and reckless summit fever becomes grievously thin. Thus the slopes of Everest are littered with corpses.” - Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air