'Five Climbers Summit Everest'

Since we started compiling this story, Express India has also reported that five climbers reached the summit of the mountain today. According to this story a French guide, a Japanese climber and three Sherpas reached the summit at 08.15am today. Apparently Chinese television reported the success direct from the team's base camp on the northern, Tibetan side of the mountain.

If the report is accurate, they are the first climbers to summit the mountain this year...

Looks like we weren't far wrong either. Everestnews.com's featured IMG Expedition reports that seven teams are going to be aiming for the summit on 22 May, which is Thursday. Expedition doctor, Deidre Glabraith - a Scottish lassie who, coincidentally, we met while she was providing medical back-up for a Salomon X-Adventure event a couple of years ago - is quoted as saying that the IMG team is moving up to the South Col tomorrow (21 May) with the summit push planned for the next day.

Reading through dispatches from other expeditions, it's clear that conditions are still far from ideal with high winds at the summit, leading some climbers to question where there will be a window in the weather at all.