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Fiennes climbs to Everest summit | Fiennes climbs to Everest summit |
(40 minutes later) | |
Veteran British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes has reached the summit of Mount Everest, succeeding after two previous attempts ended in failure. | Veteran British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes has reached the summit of Mount Everest, succeeding after two previous attempts ended in failure. |
He is the first man to cross both the planet's poles and climb 8,850 metres (29,035ft) to the world's highest peak. | He is the first man to cross both the planet's poles and climb 8,850 metres (29,035ft) to the world's highest peak. |
Sir Ranulph, 65, who had kept this latest attempt at climbing the mountain low key, said: "This is the closest you can get to the moon by walking." | |
The explorer began his latest attempt at climbing Everest three weeks ago. | The explorer began his latest attempt at climbing Everest three weeks ago. |
He becomes the oldest Briton and the first British pensioner to scale the world's highest mountain. | He becomes the oldest Briton and the first British pensioner to scale the world's highest mountain. |
His efforts are also raising money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity - his wife, mother and sister all died from the disease within 18 months. | |
Veteran explorer | |
During his career Sir Ranulph has led more than 30 expeditions. | |
The explorer is perhaps best known for a three-year transglobe expedition - the first successful circumnavigation of the world on its polar axis - which was completed in 1982. | |
He also travelled to the North Pole unaided, along with Dr Mike Stroud, as well as a 97-day trek across Antarctica. | |
Sir Ranulph had a triple heart bypass in 2003 after suffering from a heart attack. | |
Only four months later, he and Dr Stroud ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. |