Hillary junior toasts Everest climb

Tenzing and Hillary: Historic conquerors of Everest

The son of Sir Edmund Hillary has reached the summit of Everest - 49 years after his father became the first to climb the world's tallest peak.

New Zealander Peter Hillary, 47, had been due to meet the grandson of Sherpa Tenzing, who conquered Everest with Sir Edmund.

But rough weather forced Peter Hillary's team to postpone its final ascent until Saturday morning, three days after Tashi Wangchuk Tenzing, 37, reached the summit.

Tashi Wangchuk Tenzing: Reached summit as Peter Hillary was still climbing

Peter Hillary was part of a team of seven, whose trip was organised to commemorate the first ascent of Everest in 1953.

That first ascent came on the eve of the Queen's coronation on 1 June, 1953. This year the Queen celebrates her Golden Jubilee.

In a satellite telephone call from the top of the World, Peter Hillary called his father Edmund.

"We made it", he announced proudly, "and now all I want to do is go home."

It is the second time that Peter Hillary has climbed the 8,848-metre (29,028-foot) mountain.

After talking to Hillary, his wife told the New Zealand Press Association that the weather was starting to close in, and the climbers may be forced to descend in cloudy conditions.

Oldest woman

"That's a bit of a concern, it's extremely cold. But I think the weather is OK, it didn't sound too windy up there," she was reported as saying.

Also reaching the top of Mount Everest in May was Apa Sherpa, 42, who set a record by conquering Everest for the 12th time, including once from the more difficult Tibetan side.

It was also conquered this month by Tamae Watanabe, 63, the oldest woman to make the ascent.

But at an age when others might consider hanging up their climbing boots, Ms Watanabe of Yokohama, Japan, said that there were still other challenges ahead for her.

She said: "I might come back and try climb Everest from the Tibetan side next year."