Fiennes conquers Everest

World's greatest living adventurer reaches peak

Sir Ranulph Fiennes, whom the Guinness Book of Records calls the world's greatest living adventurer, has reached the top of Mount Everest, becoming the oldest Briton and the first British pensioner to do so. And this, despite having vertigo.

Fiennes had attempted to reach the summit twice before - last year abandoning his second go due to exhaustion. In 2005 he had to turn back just 300 metres from the top after suffering a heart attack.

For the successful summit attempt he was climbing with reknown British mountain guide Kenton Cool, raising money for cancer charity Marie Curie.

Fiennes was the first man to reach both poles by surface travel and the first to cross the Antractic unsupported. In 2003 - when he was 59 - he ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. After developing frostbite on a polar expedition in 2000, he had to have all of his fingers on one hand amputated at the knuckle.

He was awarded an OBE by the Queen for human endeavour in 1993.