Intrepid mountaineer Gregory Attard, who made headlines in 2010 by forming part of the first Maltese team to conquer Mount Everest, will again attempt to scale the world’s highest peak next May.

Four years ago, the climber was joined by Robert Gatt and Marco Cremona – together, they successfully summited Mount Everest by taking the southeast ridge route from Nepal.

This time, the 37-year-old doctor will be attempting a different route, taking the less frequently used north ridge route from Tibet.

Dr Attard will be leading an expedition comprising three other Maltese men: Raphael Fenech Adami, Matthew Xerri and Douglas Barbaro Sant.

At 52, Mr Fenech Adami is the eldest member of the expedition, but Dr Attard describes him as the toughest mentally.

He has joined Dr Attard on a number of expeditions, including climbing Island Peak in the Himalayas and Mount Elbrus in Russia. The youngest team member, 26-year-old Matthew Xerri, is described by Dr Attard as very strong and fit.

He has trekked in the Alps and Mount Kilimanjaro, but has less experience with the debilitating altitude of 8,000-metre peaks.

Mr Barbaro Sant is the most experienced with altitude, having scaled Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas. In 2010, he also formed part of the first Maltese team to take part in the Marathon des Sables, a gruelling six-day race across the Sahara desert.

Dr Attard says the north ridge route is more demanding than the southeast ridge, although both are challenging for different reasons.

The north route is not beset by ice falls – parts of glaciers resembling a frozen waterfall that flows down a steep slope – which characterised the southeast route. It is also not as prone to crowding by hundreds of mountaineers attempting to summit as the southeast ridge.

However, the Maltese mountaineers will need to prepare themselves for a great deal of rock climbing.

“Rock climbing is already challenging at sea level, let alone between 8,000 and 8,800 metres,” Dr Attard explains.

“Also, summit day will be more demanding – if something goes wrong and we need to descend quickly, it will take us longer to do so.”

The team is currently in the midst of arduous training sessions ahead of the expedition.

Rock climbing will be featuring heavily in their training programme to allow the group to gain confidence with the handling of ropes.

They will be venturing on eight-hour treks along the clay slopes of Għajn Tuffieħa, coupled with a few trips to Mount Etna.

“How others fare during the climb affects the entire team. I’d prefer to help an injured member down and allow the rest to have a shot at summiting with their sherpas [Nepalese guides] than to summit on my own.

“Although I would, of course, love to reach the summit again,” he adds with a smile.

Follow the team’s progress on www.facebook.com/maltaeverest14.