I refer to the article headlined, 'Sitting on top of the world' (South China Morning Post, May 29), in which you feature Mike Trueman as 'the first Hong Kong resident to reach the summit of Mount Everest'.
Mr Trueman is not the first, or the second, or even the third.
In May 1992, three Hong Kong residents achieved the summit of Everest: Louis Bowen, Keith Kerr and a Hong Kong Chinese climber whose name I don't know. Both Mr Kerr and Ms Bowen have lived here for more than 20 years and have both achieved the 'seven summits', the highest mountain on each continent.
In 1996, Mr Trueman returned to Hong Kong from Everest and was described in your pages as one of the heroes of the 1996 Everest tragedy in which 12 climbers lost their lives. I acknowledge Mr Trueman's participation in rescue efforts. However, a little perspective is due.
When the high-altitude rescue attempt by Pete Athans and Todd Burlison was taking place in appalling conditions, Mr Trueman was at base camp. Another Hong Kong resident Frank Fischbeck was on that disastrous summit push with the late Rob Hall. Frank returned to the South Col at 8,000 metres and was assisting exhausted climbers as they returned to the relative safety of their tents. Frank has been on Everest five times.
Mr Trueman praised the 'amazingly heroic act' of Rob, leader of one of the ill-fated 1996 expeditions who refused to leave his client on the mountain, and died as a result. I knew Rob. He was a fine man who had survived by his adherence to safety above all else. I believe he was as hypoxic as he was heroic, having abandoned his own strict rule to turn back if he had not summitted by 2pm.