The quest for excellence and self-fulfillment means different things to different people. For mountain climbers the dream is to stand on the world's highest peak.

In fact, standing on the roof of the world represents more than just a climber's dream. It is also an indication of national strength. In the annals of international mountaineering nearly, nearly every developed country has achieved a historic moment on the summit of Mr. Everest. Only by climbing the world's highest peak can a country prove that it has the strength and resources to achieve real standing in international mountaineering.

Mount Everest is located on the border between Tibet and Nepal. The Tibetans call it Chomolungma, or Goddess of the World, and the Nepalis call it Sagarmata, or Goddess of the Earth. The Western name dates back to 1852, when it was so christened by the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in honor of Sir George Everest, the survey's leader.

Not until 101 years after its discovery by Westerners did man finally conquer its peak.

At 11:30 in the morning on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norkey--the assault members of a team led by Briton John Hunt--successfully reached the top. During the 32 years before them, teams from Great Britain and Switzerland had tried and failed eleven times.

In the 35 years since that historic date, climbers from Britain, Japan, India, the U.S., Italy, West Germany, France, Czechoslovakia, and other countries have scaled the world's highest peak.

Of course many teams have also failed. According to Nepalese statistics, about 200 climbers have succeeded in climbing the mountain in the past three decades, but more than a hundred have perished in the attempt and countless others have failed.

Having tamed the Aconcagua, the R.O.C. climbing world is in two minds about whether to take on Everest next. Team leader Kao Ming has his sights set on India's Mount Nun, which is 7,135 meters high and difficult enough to serve as a warm-up to Everest. But Yeh Shih-wen, the director of Yu Shan National Park, maintains that the next goal should be Everest. He has set up a training center at the park, and he says he knows where to find the right climbers: "The best choice is the Bunun people of Yu Shan National Park."

He may well be right. Like the Sherpas of Nepal the Bununs are accustomed to living and working at high altitudes. When the Aconcagua expedition was looking for members, Director Yeh, well aware of the Bununs' strengths, urged Fang Liang and Wu Yu-lung together with Ouyang T'ai-sheng, a member of the park's planning office who has had many years of climbing experience to apply for positions. All three were selected.

After testing the climbers' physiques before the trip, Dr. Huang I of Air Force General Hospital told the three of them, "It depends on you whether the team makes it to the top."

But they weren't satisfied with what they had. To build up greater endurance they ran 10,000 meters each morning and trained on the top of Hohuan Mountain. The result was that their three-man assault team lived up to its responsibility of leading the expedition to the top of the mountain.

That's why Yeh believes that the natural choice for the assault team of a future Everest expedition must be young Bununs. The training center he has set up at the park is designed to build up their mountaineering skills, and he is cultivating Bununs as instructors. Only when they can support themselves at it will they be able to consider mountain climbing a profession and begin to think about tackling the Himalayas.

Frozen in subzero temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, covered year round with snow and glaciers, and swept by howling winds, Mt. Everest waits.

Who will be the next Chinese adventurer to set foot on the peak?

[Picture Caption]

The Aconcagua expedition pushed the R.O.C.'s mountaineering record to 6, 959 meters. (photo by Yu Jung-ch'in)

A historical shot after reaching the peak of South America. (photo by Huang Teh-hsiung)

Base camp was located on the Aconcagua's western slope. (photo by Yu Jung-ch'in)

The West Germans called their camp at 5,8O0 meters the Berlin Cottage. (photo by Ouyang T'ai-sheng)

On the way up the Aconcagua. (photo by Yu Jung-ch'in)

Yu Shan National Park rangers Fang Liang, Ouyang T'a-sheng, and Wu Yu-lung (from left to right) trained on the top of Hohuan Mountain. (photo by Arthur Cheng)

The team trained in a low-pressure cabin at the Air Force General Hospital to adapt themselves to the biological and psychological changes occurring at high altitudes. (photo by Yu Jung-ch'in)

The R.O.C.'s next expedition may tackle Mt. Everest, the world's "third pole." (photo by Ouyang T'ai-sheng)

Sherpas, both men and women, are adept at climbing and carrying. (photo by Ouyang T'ai-sheng)

Blessed with great strength and endurance, Bununs can carry nearly a hundred kilos in weight. They are the Sherpas of Taiwan. (photo by Su Jih-t'ang)

Base camp was located on the Aconcagua's western slope. （photo by Yu Jung-ch'in）

The West Germans called their camp at 5,8O0 meters the Berlin Cottage. （photo by Ouyang T'ai-sheng）

On the way up the Aconcagua. （photo by Yu Jung-ch'in）

Yu Shan National Park rangers Fang Liang, Ouyang T'a-sheng, and Wu Yu-lung （from left to right） trained on the top of Hohuan Mountain. （photo by Arthur Cheng）

The team trained in a low-pressure cabin at the Air Force General Hospital to adapt themselves to the biological and psychological changes occurring at high altitudes. （photo by Yu Jung-ch'in）

Blessed with great strength and endurance, Bununs can carry nearly a hundred kilos in weight. They are the Sherpas of Taiwan. （photo by Su Jih-t'ang）

The R.O.C.'s next expedition may tackle Mt. Everest, the world's "third pole." （photo by Ouyang T'ai-sheng）

Sherpas, both men and women, are adept at climbing and carrying. （photo by Ouyang T'ai-sheng）