What is MOSS

FAQs about MOSS / How to join us

FAQs about MOSS

1. What's MOSS and what does it do?

MOSS was formed in May 1989 as a registered society dedicated to "promote all forms of the sport of mountaineering". MOSS carries the tag "Society" because its original founders viewed climbing as a lifestyle and not just a ‘hobby’ or ‘sport’ – and its adherents as members of that community / society.

MOSS was the fore-runner of technical rock climbing in Singapore with Singapore’s first senior rock-climbing instructors in 1990 all being from Singapore. MOSS members were also responsible for establishing some of the some of Singapore's earliest rock routes in Dairy Farm, Hindhede quarries and other areas. Today, despite its modest size, MOSS is the leading Singapore club in terms of alpinism and technical mountaineering achievements.

2. What has MOSS done?

Some of MOSS and MOSS members’ achievements from 1989 – 2004 include:

- First Singapore Multi-peaks Expedition to Mt Kinabalu 1989 – 1990

- First Singapore Low’s Gully Expedition 1991

- First Singapore Expedition to a 6000m peak (Nepal, Lobuche East, 6119m, 1990)

- New rock climbing routes at Dairy Farm and Hindhede Quarries, 1989 - 1994

- Primary organiser of the 1^st Singapore Mt Everest Expedition 1998 where the team achieved:

First Singapore Ascent of a 7000m peak (Nepal, Dhaulagiri VII, 7246m, 1996);
First Singapore Ascent of a 8000mpeak (Tibet, Cho Oyu, 8201m, 1997);
First Singapore Ascent of Mt Everest (Nepal, 8850m, 1998)

- Founder member ( 1993 ) of the Singapore Mountaineering Federation, of which MOSS is now an affiliate

- Numerous first Singapore ascents of technical routes in the French, Swiss and New Zealand Alps , 1992 – 1996

- First All-Singapore Ascent of Aconcagua ( Argentina, 6962m ), summit of the Americas; 2000 – alpine-style, via the Polish Traverse

- Singapore-Latin American Everest Expedition 2001; reached 7950m on Everest’s North Ridge Tibet

MOSS funded and organised CLIMB 2000 between Aug 1999 – Sep 2000.

CLIMB 2000 was a national mountaineering development programme designed to bring the sport of climbing through the masses through technical seminars, talks, training of selected youth mountaineers as well as excellence programmes .

For 2001, MOSS’s major project was to educate and inform the public about mountaineering through its Everest 2001 lectures, website updates, educational pages and demos and the conducting of the Tibet expedition safely.

MOSS also formulated the syllabus for a one-day Wilderness First Aid course, endorsed by the Singapore Mountaineering Federation .

3. What makes MOSS different from any other climbing club?

The Society puts high emphasis on pushing the envelope of Singapore mountaineering standards. Our experienced members are constantly testing their technical limits in alpine-style mountaineering, as well as exploring seldom-climbed peaks. The Society has also in recent years sought to groom young mountaineers in alpine mountaineering through organised skill-transfer programmes.

4. What is MOSS doing now?

MOSS is still providing a service to it members as well as to the public primarily through the provision of a valuable electronic newsletter, the CLIMB 2000 newsletter which reaches approximately 400 persons excluding pass-on rate; mountaineering lectures and related work.

In 2004, there will be an Alpine Climbing Development Expedition to Paldor in Spring to further enhance skills of lesser experienced mountaineers.

alpine skills development programme - Paldor 2004

Be a rolling stone no more.

Gather unto MOSS.

Send the completed subscription form, with your annual fee of S$20* and a self-addressed stamped envelope, to:

Hon. Secretary

Mountaineering Society (Singapore)

35 Ripley Crescent, Singapore 556213

*All cheques/postal orders to be made payable to "Mountaineering Society (Singapore)". Do not send cash.