Oldest Woman Climbs Mount Everest at 73-Year-Old

For the second time, a Japanese woman has become the world's oldest woman to climb Mount Everest. She beat her own record set 10 years ago.

Seventy-three-year-old Tamae Watanabe reached the 29,035-foot summit with a Japanese partner and three Nepali Sherpa guides on Saturday morning.
She scaled the peak from the Tibetan side of the mountain.

Watanabe became the oldest woman to climb the mountain back in 2002 aged 63.
On Friday (May 25) her new record was officially recognized by Guinness World Records.

[Ang Tshering Sherpa, Former President, Nepal Mountaineering Association]:
"Congratulations, Watanabe San. You are the symbol of courage, bravery and encourage, you are the source of inspiration for the millions of people in your own country and others as well."

Watanabe described the conditions on the mountain during her summit.

[Tamae Watanabe, Guinness Record Holder]:
"There was severe wind. It has become somewhat more difficult compared to ten years ago. Because of the chilly wind the ascent has become more difficult."

Despite her age, Watanabe has vowed to continue climbing.

[Tamae Watanabe, Guinness Record Holder]:
"Since I live near Mount Fuji I am very keen on mountain climbing, but I feel the high mountains like those of Nepal may be a little difficult and problematic, but I will continue climbing smaller peaks."

Mount Everest straddles the Nepal-Tibet border.
It has been scaled by 3,700 people since New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first climbed it in 1953.

The list of climbers includes a blind person, a man with an artificial limb, a 13-year-old American boy and a 76-year-old Nepali man.