Old climber alters Everest plan

A 75-year-old Japanese adventurer, bidding to regain his title as the oldest man to climb Everest, is to change his route up the mountain.

Yuichiro Miura had planned to attempt the climb from the Chinese side.

But because entry to Tibet has been restricted since unrest broke out there last month, he now aims to approach the summit from Nepal.

Mr Miura first held the record as the oldest person to climb Everest when he reached the top aged 70 in 2003.

Three years later, though, his record was broken - but he is now determined to regain it.

"We are here to climb and so we will," said Mr Miura in Kathmandu.

Permit application

An application for the climb was submitted to the Nepalese government on Sunday, according to the adventurer's daughter, Emili Miura.

His son Gota Miura, aged 38, will be climbing with his father.

The permit application is likely to take several days because of the elections in Nepal this week.

Nepal will not allow the attempt on Everest until 10 May, following a request from China, which is concerned about possible protests over the Olympics at the summit.

The hope is for the expedition to reach the peak around 25 May.

China plans for the Olympic torch to be carried up to the top of the mountain.

Mr Miura is celebrated for having skied down Everest, using a parachute as a brake, in 1970 - an achievement later immortalised in an Oscar-winning documentary.