Breathless from the gruelling climb and battered by the strong winds, intrepid mountaineer Gregory Attard called his girlfriend yesterday morning from the highest point on earth – Mount Everest, towering 8,848 metres above sea level.

An ecstatic Sharon Zahra told Times of Malta the 37-year-old doctor was proud to fly the Maltese flag on the world’s highest peak for the second time in the space of four years.

He was joined on the summit by Matthew Xerri and Douglas Barbaro Sant, who were new to the feat. The fourth team member, Raphael Fenech Adami, was 250 metres short of making it to the summit. At an altitude of 8,600 metres, he felt sick and Dr Attard advised him to turn back with his Sherpa.

More on Times of Malta.

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