Hillary, Clark praise amputee climber

Mark Inglis has fulfilled his lifelong dream.

Sir Edmund Hillary has joined the Prime Minister in praising the achievement of New Zealand climber Mark Inglis who last night became the first double amputee to conquer Mt Everest.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said she hopes to speak to Mr Inglis personally for his "absolutely incredible feat".

And Sir Edmund, who first conquered Everest, on May 29, 1953 with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, added his praise.

He told the Sydney Morning Herald it was "quite obviously a remarkable effort to actually climb Mt Everest with a couple of artificial legs".

He added: "And I have to admit that I admire his considerable effort ... he's done a pretty good job."

Mr Inglis' wife Anne confirmed her husband's achievement yesterday as she spoke to him briefly after he stood atop the 8850m mountain.

"He's incredible," Mrs Inglis said. "He's dreamed of this all his life, probably. He's over the moon.

"They didn't expect to be this early, they thought maybe mid to late May, so Mark will be stoked. I imagine they'll be having a few whiskies."

Inglis conquered Everest on two carbon-fibre artificial legs especially adapted for climbing.

He snapped one of them when he was at about 6400m while preparing to move up to Camp 2, which is at about 7500m.

He was able to fix it well enough to get to his climbing companions, and then rebuilt it with spare parts.

Helen Clark said today: "As a very amateur climber myself with two sound legs and having got to 6000m I can appreciate what an amazing achievement this is and I offer him my full congratulations."

She said Mr Inglis had sent a signal to others with disabilities "that your ambitions should never be limited".

"I have heard Mark Inglis speak and he is an inspirational speaker in terms of motivating people to get on top of what to all of us would seem like the most incredible setbacks and get on with life and really set new challenges."

The 47-year-old arrived at Base Camp on April 7. He made his bid for the top with an early-morning start in perfect weather from Camp 4 - less than 450m below the summit.

Mrs Inglis said she talked to her husband briefly at 9.20pm, but there was static on the phone line and it cut out.

But she had heard from the partner of Wayne Alexander, another climber on the expedition, that the group had conquered Everest, were in high spirits and had returned to Camp 4. "I'm relieved the worst bit's over and feel great to know that he's done it."

She said she also spoke to her husband on Saturday and he had sounded confident and ready for the final push.

"He said he wouldn't call again until they had been to the top."

Mrs Inglis said she expected her husband home early next week. "It will be interesting to see what he wants to do now. He can't go any higher."

The original expedition party split into two groups. Four members of the first group had already reached the summit before Inglis made it to the top.

Inglis arrived in Tibet on April 1 and spent a week acclimatising before beginning the long haul up Everest.

On April 29 he wrote on his website that he was still struggling with acclimatisation. "Just when you think you can breathe, it takes two stops to get to the loo."

In November 1982, Inglis, then a mountain rescue guide, lost his legs to frostbite in a climbing mishap.

A blizzard trapped him and countryman Phil Doole in an ice cave on Mt Cook for 14 days.

Both had their legs amputated below the knees.

- additional reporting HERALD ONLINE STAFF