The second Irish expedition to Everest, led by Cork man Pat Falvey, flew out from Dublin to Nepal at the weekend.
The six-strong climbing team has three targets. It hopes to place the first Irish woman - or women - on the summit of the world's highest mountain; its leader intends to become the first Irish man to ascend from both the north and south approaches; and the team hopes to record the first Irish climb from Nepal.
The challenge comes 50 years after the first ascent by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, and 10 years after the first successful Irish climb by Belfast architect and mountain guide, Dawson Stelfox, via the North Ridge route from Tibet.
The two women on the climbing team are Hannah Shields (38), a dentist from Kilrea, Co Derry, and Clare O'Leary (31), a consultant who specialises in gastroenterology at Cork University Hospital. They aim to beat the record held by Irish nurse Josie Kieran, who almost reached the top at 28,750 ft in May 1998.
Also participating are deputy leader and west Cork teacher, Mick Murphy (43), who was part of the 1993 Everest expedition and made the first Irish ascent of Ama Dablam; George Shorten (41), an anaesthetist at Cork University Hospital; and Gerard McDonnell, an automation engineer from Kilcornan, Co Limerick, who is working in Alaska.
Two years after the Stelfox success, supported by seven leading Irish mountaineers, Mr Falvey also took the North Ridge route as part of an international group. Since then Mr Falvey (45) has climbed the highest peak on each of the seven continents, and made 35 ascents of mountains over 18,000 foot in the past 10 years, including Cho Oyu, the world's sixth highest peak at just under 27,000 ft. He is a full-time adventurer.
"Everyone is very strong, the two women have trained with me for the last 2½ years and the group represents high achievers who have also been at high altitudes," Mr Falvey told The Irish Times. Among the trekkers joining the climbing team at base camp in Nepal will be a psychologist and a Tai Chi master. "We will be using team-building techniques and Tai Chi to relax and ground the climbers," Mr Falvey said. The Sherpas supporting the attempt were all close friends.
The expedition will be joined at base camp by a group of support trekkers, who leave Dublin today.
Progress can be monitored on www.irisheverest2003.com