Ever wanted to climb a mountain?
Welcome to NUS Mountaineering, Singapore’s first student-led mountaineering club.
For countless students, MIR (Make it Real) has been their first step into the world of Himalayan peaks, epic climbs and friendships that last for life. Learn more about our stories, the Technical Mountaineering Course (TMC) that we run for members each year and our history.
“You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.”
– René Daumal
FAQs
What is MIR?
NUS Mountaineering, otherwise more fondly known as Make It Real (MIR), is a mountaineering club in NUS founded by a group of mountaineers after their climb to Xixabangma in 2002. It has grown to be more than a club and now includes experienced and passionate alumni, as well as budding newcomers eager to develop themselves into mountaineers. Find out more about our history here.
How do I join MIR?
NUS Mountaineering is a student organisation under the National University of Singapore (NUS), hence official members must start of as current NUS students. The first step to your journey with us is to enrol in a semester-long Technical Mountaineering Course (TMC) held each semester, with team recruitments happening in January and August each year. The course will involve preparation in Singapore, both technical and physical, for the entire semester, before the actual course trip during the semester vacation, for about three weeks overseas. This mandatory commitment is fundamental as a gateway into the club, and mountaineering in general – many students have come in with a pre-supposed mentality that they can ‘train on their own’ without committing to club training – that is absurd and justifiably unwarranted. After returning from TMCs, members will get to explore the club’s functions and resources to continue their development as mountaineers and climbers, whilst strongly encouraged to also give back to the club at the same time.
Is mountaineering safe?
We cannot guarantee your safety but we will take all the necessary steps to make your trip safer. The guides we hire are experienced and have been climbing with us for multiple batches. Training sessions also impart the necessary skills and fitness for you to look after yourself in the mountains. Ultimately, how good and well-prepared you are translates into how safe you will be in the mountains.
Sichuan Ice Climbing (WI3)
Our Alumni have gone on to climb in many parts of the world, from the Swiss and French Alps to South America, the Himalayas and even Everest.
Dri Horlini Traverse (AD), Switzerland