SINGAPORE — Team Aluminaid is slowly adjusting to life back in Singapore after their harrowing experience in Nepal.

The earthquake hit when the Singaporean climbers were at a base camp in Mount Everest. Eighteen climbers and guides were killed in the disaster.

The team returned to Singapore on May 4.

“My tent and (team mate Nur Yusrina’s tent) were side-by-side,” said Aluminaid team member Ismail Latiff. “She would always shout my name and ask, ‘Do you feel it, do you feel the aftershock?’. I would say, ‘No, not really’. On the subsequent night, we transferred to the dining tent and from that night onwards, she did not shout my name anymore.”

Ms Nur Yusrina said: “I’m coping much better than when I was at the Everest base camp or in Kathmandu. I don’t have those fears anymore. There was this one time I was sitting on something unstable and it shook and I got off right away. I am a little bit more sensitive to such things but I think I am doing well here.”

Mr Seumas Yeo returned to Singapore earlier, before his three team mates.

He shared: “When I was back home in Singapore, the first night I could sleep well. But then when I woke up, I accidentally touched my table near my bed and the whole thing shook and it just reminded me of the earthquake, of the tremors there. But I told myself this is Singapore, nothing to worry about.”

The team’s dream of conquering Everest has come to an end, but they said the past five years of sacrifices and tough training to prepare for the climb were worth it. They do not rule out returning to Everest someday.

The team added that they will redirect their personal funds for the climb to relief efforts in Nepal. CHANNEL NEWSASIA