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.

Mountaineers from around the world and Nepal’s royal family were gathering in the capital Kathmandu today to join Sir Edmund Hillary in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest.

A visibly exhausted Sir Edmund Hillary, confined to a wheelchair, arrived in Nepal today to take part in celebrations to commemorate his conquest of Mount Everest a half century ago.

THEY don’t encounter too may puc fadas in the vicinity of the Himalayas, let alone the top of the world.

Storms forced more than 100 climbers to retreat from the south face of Mount Everest today, amid celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the first conquest of the world’s highest peak.