A MARRIED couple from Northern Ireland have reached the summit of Everest and spoke by satellite phone from near the top of the world’s highest mountain yesterday. It was the husband’s second time to reach the summit.
The Co Down couple said they hoped through sponsorship to raise £150,000 (€170,000) for a cancer charity.
Noel and Lynne Hanna from Dromore reached the summit of Everest just after midday on Thursday as part of a team led by renowned Russian mountaineer Nicholay Cherhy.
It was the second time they had attempted the climb as husband and wife. They first attempted Everest four-years-ago but abandoned their climb when Mr Hanna suffered temporary blindness.
The couple, both in their 40s, said their successful climb had taken 52 days and had gone very well.
Asked what had kept them going throughout the long climb, Lynne Hanna said: “Just the fact that we wanted to reach the summit so much.”