More than three dozen scale Everest

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.

The climbers included Alexander Allan, 45, from Scotland.

Strong winds and heavy snow on Mount Everest have recently forced dozens of other climbers to postpone their bid for the summit.

The mountaineering season in Nepal ends on May 31, when climbers must return from the mountains before monsoon rains in the region bring heavy snow.

Everest has been climbed more than 800 times since the first documented climb by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. More than 180 people have been killed on its unpredictable slopes.

Ministry officials said another half dozen teams were expected to push for the summit in the next few days.