| Sir Ranulph Fiennes, one of Britain's finest | | | | pains and considered himself lucky to get back down |
| adventurers, famous for polar expeditions and feats | | | | the mountain alive, having to rely on emergency |
| of endurance, has published his memoirs following his | | | | medication to keep his heart working. In 2008 he |
| expeditions up Mount Everest (8848 m) the world's | | | | tried again, but again, due to exhaustion, didn't make |
| highest mountain. | | | | it. But Sir Ranulph is a determined man, even spending |
| In May 2009, Sir Ranulph Fiennes finally achieved his | | | | his honeymoon with his second wife at Everest Base |
| ambition of reaching the summit of Mount Everest, | | | | Camp. |
| having tried the Everest trekking routes up both the | | | | In 2009, he tried a third time, taking a route up the |
| Tibetan and Nepalese sides of the mighty mountain. | | | | South East Ridge from the Nepal side of Everest. |
| It was the culmination of a long-running charitable | | | | Because of his health issues, Fiennes was well-placed |
| effort in which he raised huge amounts of money for | | | | to appreciate the difference in altitude between the |
| Marie Curie Cancer care. It has been a cause close to | | | | Advance Base Camp in Tibet (at 6500 metres) and |
| his heart after Ranulph's wife and several of his | | | | the Nepalese Everest Base Camp (5,380 metres), |
| family members died from Cancer within a period of | | | | calling the latter "a far healthier launch point for the |
| a few months. | | | | summit." To keep him healthy, Fiennes was kept |
| Sir Ranulph's accomplishments, which have always | | | | separate from other climbers at base camp to avoid |
| been startling, were even more remarkable with | | | | him catching a virus. |
| these Everest trekking expeditions because of his | | | | During the climb, Fiennes relied heavily on the skills |
| age and his state of health while he was climbing. At | | | | and encouragement of his Sherpa co-climber, Thundu. |
| the age of 65 years, Fiennes is the oldest Britain to | | | | They a established a slow, steady pace out of |
| have reached the summit and the first pensioner. | | | | Everest Base Camp, and Fiennes rested as much as |
| His Everest adventure began in 2003 when he began | | | | he could at the camps along the route. Despite his |
| preparing for a 2005 summit attempt from the | | | | uncertain health, and his difficulties in holding an ice |
| Tibetan side of Everest. His first challenge was to | | | | axe properly because of his missing fingertips (that is |
| prove that, at the age of 60 and recovering from | | | | another story), they made it to the summit of |
| cardiac surgery, he was strong enough even to | | | | Everest on May 21st 2009. |
| attempt the mountain. After a series of trial mountain | | | | When he returned to Everest Base Camp, |
| climbs and training expeditions Fiennes was passed fit | | | | exhausted, he told reporters what he had seen at |
| for Everest. Nonetheless, because of a troublesome | | | | the zenith of his Everest trekking adventure: "It felt |
| medical condition, he had to wear a gas mask while | | | | like you could dive into the clouds," he said. He could |
| sleeping at base camp. Everest was clearly going to | | | | see "the sickle moon and stars everywhere." |
| be one of his greater challenges. | | | | Not bad for a man with a fear of heights. |
| On his first summit bid he suffered serious chest | | | | |