The first Irish woman to climb Everest said yesterday she now wants to climb the world's seven highest summits.
Speaking only hours after she reached the 29,035ft Everest platform, Cork doctor Clare O'Leary said that she had no intention of hanging up her boots. "I definitely think I'd like to give the seven summits a shot." she told The Irish Times by satellite telephone.
The 33-year-old said that she had wonderfully clear views from the world's highest peak when she reached it at 1.45 a.m. Irish time yesterday on the original Hillary/Tenzing route from Nepal.
"It was very spectacular, you could see for miles around, and we spent about 20 minutes up there, calling home and taking photographs. However, it was too cold to hang around any longer, and we hadn't eaten or had a drink for hours as our drinks had iced over."
With her were four of the Irish Wyeth Expedition's Sherpa team and Cork climber and professional adventurer, Mr Pat Falvey, who has now become the only Irishman to make the summit from both the Tibetan and Nepalese approaches.
The President, Mrs McAleese, was among the many well-wishers to pay tribute to Dr O'Leary and Mr Falvey yesterday.
"All I want now is a shower, a proper bed and the normal things," Dr O'Leary said. "We had nothing but soup and jelly for the last few days, and I am feeling hungry, but it is very hard to eat much."
The Irish pair and Sherpas Pemba Gyalji, the expedition's climbing director, Lamababu, Jangbu, Lhakpa Onchhu and Nang Chemmi made for the summit in nine hours from Camp 4 on the South Col on Monday night.
The group had taken advantage of a brief weather window between May 15th and 18th, following two months on the mountain preparing for the effort.
This was Dr O'Leary's second attempt. Last year, she was forced to turn back at 24,500 feet when she was hit with a stomach bug.
Dr O'Leary spoke yesterday with her parents, Alice and Kevin O'Leary, and her family at home in Bandon shortly before leaving the summit.
"We weren't in bed long when the phone rang," said her younger sister Carol. "She had a word with all of us. I wasn't expecting her to have the energy to do that.
"She said she was a bit tired. She had held up the tricolour for the few photos before leaving, so we told her just to be very careful on the way down."
The previous Irish female record on Everest was set by Co Louth nurse, Ms Josie Kieran, who reached 28,750 feet in May, 1998.
Dr O'Leary's youngest brother, Kevin (28), is in Kathmandu and en route to Everest base camp in Nepal to meet his sister early next week.
After the climbers reach Camp 2 (21,000ft) at the foot of the Lhotse Wall today they will have a further rest. They will then make their final traverse of the treacherous Khumbu icefall before returning to base camp tomorrow.
