Bad weather hampers Irish Everest expedition

IT may be sunny at home, but members of an Irish team climbing Mount Everest are praying for better weather to help them reach the summit.

The expedition team of six left Ireland on March 15 last and they’re hoping to scale the summit sometime during the week of May 10-17.

There are two women on the team, Cork University Hospital (CUH) doctor Clare O’Leary, 31, and Derry dentist Hannah Shields, 37. Both are hoping to become the first Irish women to successfully ascend Everest.

If all goes to plan, the team will return home on June 2, but they need a big improvement in the weather to meet their ambitious target.

The team is led by the country’s number one climber, Pat Falvey, 45. He is aiming to break new ground by guiding Irish climbers through the southern route that begins in Nepal.

The other members of the trail-blazing group include CUH anaesthetist George Shorten, 41, Limerick engineer Gerard McDonnell and Cork teacher Mick Murphy.

Yesterday the team were again halted by bad weather, as heavy snow hampered their progress all week.

“Stuck in Base Camp for another day due to bad weather. Although this is frustrating, it’s better to be safe than sorry,” the team’s website reported.

While the sun shines and the temperature soars at home, the climbers are faced with spectacular weather of a different kind.

“Lots of avalanches, rock falls and serac falls last night around Base Camp,” the website said.