Everest team returns

The Challenge 8000 team, comprising Greg Attard, Marco Cremona and Robert Gatt, has returned to Malta, accompanied by team guide Victor Saunders, after becoming the first ever Maltese to successfully reach the summit of Mount Everest. The team made it to the top of the 8,848-metre-high mountain on May 17.

After their arrival in Malta, the climbers spoke about the challenges Mount Everest had presented them.

"Back down from the summit, we were faced with a rescue operation, where a climber from a parallel expedition found herself in difficulty at the south summit. She had to be carried down after being exposed to the deathzone for more than 24 hours.

"Storms then hit the base of Mount Everest making it difficult for us to move on to Kathmandu... we were faced with grounded flights. And after all that we still had to trek down to Lukla.

"With all the challenges we had to face coming back down from the summit, we are very satisfied with what we have achieved," they said.

Mr Cremona added, "On reaching the summit, the risk of staying up there was too great to permit us to fully enjoy the moment. But nothing could detract from the feeling of sheer contentment at reaching the summit and we would like to thank everyone for their support."

Representatives of sponsors Duracell and Bank of Valletta congratulated the climbers.