Everest obstacles revealed

"It was some sensation" - Terence 'Banjo' Bannon

The Northern Ireland man who climbed Mount Everest has revealed setbacks as he neared the top made him think he might have to turn back.

Terence "Banjo" Bannon, 35, from Newry in County Down and his teammate New Zealander Jamie McGuinness, 37, reached the top of the world's highest peak in the early hours of Saturday morning.

It took the pair nine hours to climb the final 500 metres using oxygen supplies and head torches to guide them on the treacherous ascent.

It is the first time a team from Northern Ireland has reached the summit and follows the success of an Irish team earlier in the month.

Banjo's family in Newry found out that he had reached the top when they heard a message he had left on their answering machine by satellite telephone.

"Hello, it's me - I'm on top of the world - I'll tell you all the craic when I get home," he said.

I just hope nobody mentions the moon to him, because he's mad enough for anything!

Rose Bannon
Banjo's mother

Banjo revealed the "haphazard" way he reached the summit after encountering a series of problems in the final push.

"Jamie went on at about 1200 hours - I was having problems with a regulator on top of an oxygen bottle, so I didn't leave until about 1230 hours, so you could say I solo-ed it," he said.

"I met up with Jamie just as he was coming down from the summit."

Banjo said he got "a bit lost" as the battery in his head torch expired, just before the first step.

"I had to climb down a bit, and go around to get back en route," he said.

He added: "Luckily enough, I had a backup - a small torch battery, only for that, I would have turned back."

You could see the Tibetan plain and on into Nepal - it was some sensation

Terence 'Banjo' Bannon

He said the view from the top was "beautiful".

"I got to the summit, took my photographs and stayed there for ten minutes," he said.

"It was great - there wasn't a cloud in the sky, there was a slight breeze but not much, and it was just beautiful.

"You could see the Tibetan plain and on into Nepal - it was some sensation."

This was Banjo's second attempt at climbing Everest, having been as far as base camp with Dawson Stelfox, also from Northern Ireland, who reached the summit of Everest 10 years ago.

His mother, Rose, spoke of her concerns about her intrepid son's next possible challenge.

"I just hope nobody mentions the moon to him, because he's mad enough for anything!"

Last week, expedition leader Richard Dougan and his colleague David Sharpe were forced to abandon their attempt at scaling the mountain because of frostbite, just 250 metres from the summit.

They returned to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, after being told they needed urgent medical attention for frostbite on their hands and feet.