Kathmandu, May 19: Veteran Nepalese climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa was late today planning a fresh assault on Mt Everest in a bid to conquer the world's highest mountain in a record 12 hours, an official said.
"Lhakpa has been acclimatising himself at the base camp of Mount Everest for the last couple of weeks," said Freer Luanne, a medical officer at base camp.
"He plans to leave for the summit today evening," added Luanne, who is working at a medical camp run by the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) for Everest mountaineers.
Using the southeast route, Lhakpa, 36, hopes to achieve his 10th conquest of Everest by slashing the current record for scaling the 8,848 metre peak of 16 hours 56 minutes, set in 2000 by legendary Sherpa Babu Chhiri, who died two years later while attempting his 11th ascent.
Normal climbers can take weeks to ascend to the summit from advanced base camp.
A total of 25 teams are attempting to scale the mountain this spring to celebrate the first conquest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgey Sherpa on May 29, 1953.
After weeks of waiting for the weather to clear, teams began moving up the mountain from yesterday in anticipation of good conditions later in the week, Luanne said.
Some team members have climbed up to the 7,980 metre elevation on the South Col, where they are setting up a fourth high altitude camp.
Among these is an expedition including Skiier Y Miura, who with his son Gota Miura is attempting, at the age of 70, to become the oldest man at the top.
Bureau Report