Everest climber close to realising 
dream

Kenton Cool said he is the first person to attempt to reach the summit of the three mountains which form the Western Cwm of Everest – Nuptse (7,861m), Everest (8,848m) and Lhotse (8,516) – in one climb.

The task has previously been called “the impossible climb”.

The climber left Everest base camp on Thursday morning and arrived at the summit of Nuptse yesterday. He sent the message back to base: “I’ve done Nuptse, I repeat I’ve done Nuptse.

“The impossible climb is a possibility, Everest number 11 is next. I’m going like a train. Tell everyone we’re OK.”

A message posted on the mountaineer’s facebook page in the early hours of yesterdayread: “NUPTSE AND EVEREST ARE DONE. WE’RE FEELING STRONG. WE’RE GOING FOR IT”

Mr Cool is due to reach the summit of Lhotse today and then return to base camp tomorrow.

The adventurer is undertaking the challenge with his long-time climbing partner, Sherpa Dorke Gylen. The pair have been together for six of Mr Cool’s previous 10 Everest summits.

Before setting off, Mr Cool said: “It has been a pipe dream of mine for a few years to try and climb the three mountains that form the Western Cwm; Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse.

“The reason for wanting to do this is purely a selfish one; the Western Cwm is one of the most magical places I have ever been to.

“This year I realised that there was a chance that I may be able to make use of the weather windows to move from one peak to the next and do something that many have dreamed of but none have achieved.”

Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to conquer the mountain on May 29, 1953.

Also in the early hours yesterday, a British man gave a live television interview from the summit of the world’s highest mountain.

Airline pilot Daniel Hughes, 32, from London, spoke to the BBC via satellite shortly before 4am, giving people watching the chance to see the view from the top of Everest.

He took a red nose to the summit, having made the climb to raise funds for Comic Relief.

Everest, the ultimate peak that defied climbers for decades before the 1953 expedition, is now successfully tackled by hundreds of climbers a year.

More than 5,000 people have stood on the world’s summit since Hillary and Tenzing’s triumph.

Travel to Everest Base Camp on an expedition in May of any year, would reveal a vast tented village.

It would be made up of those who had contented themselves with completing the arduous trek to the 17,000ft camp and those who had forked out considerable sums of money to climb the mountain itself.

For Everest, now, is big business in tourist terms. The UK is just one of the countries offering trips to, and up, this highest of Himalayan peaks.

One such UK company is Cumbria-based Maximum Adventure Ltd, whose boss is father-of-three Mike Bowness.

Having already been to Base Camp, Mr Bowness, 42, is now deciding whether he will join his clients in attempting an ascent during the company’s planned spring 2015 Everest expedition.

Mr Bowness and his team are hoping to take eight to 10 people on the trip, with clients paying around £45,000 each for the experience.