Ranulph Fiennes conquers Everest
21st May 2009
Sir Ranulph Fiennes has conquered Mount Everest aged 65, making him the oldest Brit ever to reach the summit.
It was third time lucky for the explorer. In 2005 he suffered a heart attack on the mountain and exhaustion and bad weather foiled his second attempt last year, forcing him to turn back after reaching 8,400 metres.
Despite vowing “no more mountains,” he finally scaled the peak at just before 1am local time today (21 May). He can now add the record-breaking feat to his other world records, including being the first person to have crossed both polar ice caps.
The mission was in aid of Marie Curie Nurses, a charity that helps terminally ill people die at home. Fiennes began supporting the charity after his mother, two of his sisters and his wife Ginny all died from cancer.
He hopes to meet his fundraising target and raise £3 million for Marie Curie. Yesterday he said: “I urge everyone who followed my attempt last year to give generously to Marie Curie, so that we can at last achieve our £3 million target to support its pioneering work in end-of-life care.”
Marie Curie chief executive Thomas Hughes-Hallett said: “We are so grateful for all his support for the charity, and for his determination to personally take the Marie Curie flag to the summit.”
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