More Mt. Everest Firsts

“KATMANDU, Nepal -- Two American climbers overcame blindness and age to scale the world's tallest mountain on Friday.

Erik Weihenmeyer, 32, of Golden, Colo., became the first blind climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest, according to the Nepal ministry of tourism.

Shermann Bull, a 64-year-old physician from New Canaan, Conn., became the oldest climber ever to step onto the roof of the world, said the ministry, which oversees climbing in this Himalayan state.

``This is quite an amazing and extraordinary feat for a blind climber to reach the summit,'' said Ang Karma, a former official of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. ``The majority of the people have difficulty even getting to the base camp, let alone the summit.''

Weihenmeyer reached the summit at about 10:00 a.m. with Eric Alexander, 31, of Vail, Colo., Luis Benitez, 28, of Boulder, Colo., and Jeff Evans, 31, of Denver.

Minutes before they reached the summit, Chris Morris, 33, from Wasilla, Alaska, with Bradford Bull, 33, of Denver, and his father Sherman Bull also reached the 29,035-foot peak with eight Nepalese Sherpa guides.

The climbers were part of the National Federation of Blind Allegro Everest Expedition.

Weihenmeyer, 32, lost his sight at age 13 due to retinoscheses and took up rock climbing at 16.

``Because Everest is so famous, that you read and hear so much about, I wanted to try it out,'' he had said before setting out for the mountain in April.

Unlike most climbers who depend on careful coordination between eyes, hands and feet to make their climb, Weihenmeyer follows the sounds of bells tied to the jackets of his climbing mates and Sherpa guides.

He has already climbed Mount McKinley in Alaska, Mount Aconcagua in Argentina and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Shermann Bull broke the record for the oldest Everest climber, first set by Georgian climber Lev Sarkisov, who reached the summit May 12, 1999, at 61, and again by Toshio Yamamoto last year, at 63.”