Woman mounts Everest challenge

MARKETING manager Bridget Rossiter-O’Flynn hopes to scale new heights this week.

Her lifelong ambition to become the first Irish woman to climb Everest starts tomorrow when she reaches base camp and begins a five-week journey to the summit.

It’s a race against not only the elements but also against time for the Wexford woman, given that Cork woman, Claire O’Leary, is also climbing Everest at the same time but from the opposite side of the mountain.

Speaking from Katmandu yesterday, the hotel marketing manager from New Ross said not everything had gone to plan. But she hopes things will improve.

“I climbed Mount Pumouri to 22,000 feet but suffered some high altitude sickness and came down two days ahead of the rest of the team so I could recover. I spent two days resting and have been to the hospital in Katmandu.

“My x-rays have shown up fine and it’s all systems go for Everest,” she told Wexford’s South East Radio yesterday.

“This is not a bad omen really. So many things can go wrong. You can get all types of food poisoning and so much can happen on the mountain. Even a common cold can cause problems because you are going into less oxygen as you climb. Out of the nine of us, six got food poisoning halfway up a climb one night.”

Weather conditions have been severe, up to minus 20 degrees at night.

But there’s little or no snow on Everest and the forecast is good. “The conditions are bad and everyone has to put up with the same thing. Whoever can survive these things is the one who will get there.”

Bridget is in contact with home every now and again, thanks to a satellite phone.

Her husband, Anthony, is keeping the home fires burning and looking after their two dogs in New Ross.