Three Irish doctors, climbing as part of the Caudwell Xtreme Everest research team, have climbed to the summit of Everest from the south side of the mountain.
Dr Nigel Hart, a Queens University Belfast graduate, was one of six doctors in the first team that reached the 8,848m (29,000ft) summit on Wednesday morning, accompanied by 10 Sherpas.
Dublin-based anaesthetist Roger McMorrow, who designed a special closed-circuit breathing system for use on the mountain and Tipperary man Mick O'Dwyer, a specialist in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, both reached the summit yesterday morning.
The Xtreme Everest team has been conducting medical tests throughout the expedition, both on themselves and on 200 volunteer trekkers. The medics hope that results from their research can be used to help intensive care patients, cystic fibrosis sufferers and "blue babies" who suffer from hypoxia (low oxygen levels) similar to those found on Everest.
Plans to take arterial blood samples on the summit had to be abandoned due to low temperatures and high winds, but bloods were taken at the Balcony (8,400m). The team also set up the world's highest laboratory on the South Col at 8,000m. Findings from the team's research is to be presented at a Kerry conference in October.
The three doctors bring to five the number of Irish that have reached the summit of Everest in the last eight days. Wicklow man Ian McKeever, who is bidding for a new world record for the fastest ascent of the seven highest peaks on the seven continents, stood on the top of Everest on May 16th.
Three days later, Derry dentist Hannah Shields also reached the summit, four years after her first attempt had to be abandoned.