ON TOP OF THE WORLD
A DROMARA couple have entered the record books by becoming the first husband and wife team from Northern Ireland to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Husband and wife, Noel and Lynne Hanna, reached the top of Everest at 12.26pm last Wednesday in aid of the Ulster Cancer Foundation.
Led by legendary Russian climber, Nicholay Cherhy, the big-hearted couple not only achieved their joint goal of reaching the highest point on the planet – but they also raised 150,000 for the Ulster Cancer Foundation which will be used to fund two support programmes offered by the charity.
While it is the second time that the Dromara man has climbed the world's highest peak, it is first time the pair have reached the summit together. In 2006, Noel endured sub-zero and treacherous conditions to reach the summit which is 8,850 metres above sea level.
However, the old adage 'third time lucky' proved true for the couple who had to abandon their first attempt at reaching the top of the world when Noel was diagnosed with retinal haemorrhaging which caused him to loose his sight for six weeks in 2005.
A second attempt to climb Everest as a husband and wife team was thwarted last year, when the Chinese Government closed routes to the world's highest mountain.
Due to arrive back home on Saturday, Noel (42) and his 47-year-old wife Lynne, revealed how they reached the summit sleep deprived owing to dropping temperatures and altitude sickness.
"We only really got two or three hours sleep a night and we haven't had a decent night's sleep since we left," he said.
drinks
Surviving on a diet of packet soup made with boiled snow and tins of tuna, Noel said that he was looking forward to coming home. "I suppose what we really want after all of this, more than all, is a good tasty meal, a few drinks and a good night's sleep."
At the weekend, the Dromara couple began their descent to Base Camp where they will embark on a three-day trek to Lukla, Nepal, to catch a flight to Kathmandhu.
While most individuals would relax and put their feet up after climbing the world's highest peak, Noel is already planning his next expedition to Antartica in December. "After completing this climb, I will have climbed the highest mountain in each continent," he said.
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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