Thousands of New Zealanders filed solemnly past the casket of Mount Everest conqueror Edmund Hillary today as they paid final respects ahead of his state funeral tomorrow.

A 71-year-old Japanese mountain climber has become the oldest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

A Scottish climber died near the summit of Mount Everest today, Nepalese mountaineering officials said.

A woman seeking to become the first from Northern Ireland to reach the summit of Mount Everest begins her ascent this weekend, it was announced today.

An ace Sherpa guide scaled Mount Everest in a record eight hours and ten minutes today, Nepalese mountaineering officials said.

NEARLY 60 climbers and their Sherpa guides scaled Mount Everest over the weekend, becoming the first to reach the summit of the world’s highest peak in 2004, Nepalese tourism officials said.

A helicopter that was flying to pick up climbers in the Mount Everest area crashed near the base camp today, killing a Nepalese flight attendant and injuring six other people.

A group of Chinese climbers who conquered Mount Everest beamed the first live television pictures from the summit today.

Strong winds and deteriorating weather thwarted attempts today by more than 100 climbers to scale 29,035ft Mount Everest.

The SARS outbreak is keeping many Mount Everest climbers away from a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the conquest of the world’s highest mountain.

Forty-nine years after his grandfather became one of the first two men to climb Mount Everest, Tashi Wangchuk Tenzing today reached the top of the world’s highest peak.

Taking advantage of a long-awaited break in the harsh weather, at least 37 climbers and their Sherpa guides have scaled Mount Everest in the past two days, the Nepalese Tourism Ministry said.

More than 50 climbers have scaled Mount Everest in a two day rush to the top of the world’s highest peak before the end of the climbing season.