Mark reaches Everest summit

A Limerick man, who made history by becoming the youngest Irish person to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, will touch down on solid ground in Shannon on Sunday.
Twenty-seven-year-old Mark Quinn from Rhebogue in Limerick, who worked for Ennis-based television company Urlan, reached the summit of Everest on Saturday, May 21 just two years and 11 days after he climbed his first mountain. He climbed the world’s highest mountain for the Shane Geoghegan Trust.
“I climbed Carrantuohill two years and 11 days before I stood on the summit of Everest. I don’t believe anyone climbs their first mountain with the expectation to stand on Everest but I did. When I climbed Carrauntoohill I had Everest in my mind and I went on from there. Three months later, I went on to climb Rysy mountain in Poland, then onto Mount Aconcagua in the Andes, which is one of the mountains that prepares you for Everest. In addition to doing marathons and doing technical training, my next stop was Everest,” Mark explained.
It took 60 days to complete the climb and Mark described his first sight of Everest as a “massively imposing” mountain. “We told ourselves that we didn’t have to climb it, that this was something if everything looked good and looked right we would go ahead and do it but we were not to get summit fever, where climbers get obsessed with the summit. Our guide said he didn’t understand the phrase ‘Everest at any price’ and that was something we kept in our minds at those altitudes,” he revealed.
Having reached the summit, Mark said he didn’t feel elated but quite the opposite.
“As part of the initial launch for the project we had Ian Taylor speak to us about his experience as the youngest Irish man to climb Everest. He said he didn’t know where the phrase “standing on top of the world” came from because he felt terrible at the summit. I desperately wanted to come back and say I don’t know what you’re talking about Ian but he was exactly right, I felt terrible.
“As I went up close to the summit I met a group of English climbers and spoke to them briefly. One of them said ‘look Mark I just want to get out of here it’s not a good place’.
“It’s a dangerous place. You pass a lot of bodies on your way up and you become very aware you are in a place where you are very lucky to be and lucky to get out of as well. It wasn’t like reaching the end of a journey, it was more like we are halfway there and get down safely. There was no amazing elation up there, it was half a job done basically,” he explained.
Mark’s group had a 100% success rate, with all seven reaching the summit and with just one climber suffering from frostbite. The trip was somewhat marred however, as climbing behind Mark’s group was Kildare man John Delaney, who died tragically on the mountain.
“I met John very briefly but all I can say was it was a horrible tragedy much felt by every climber on the mountain and I would like to extend my condolences to the family,” Mark said.
On summit night, Mark said he dismissed all the great explorers and climbers he read about in preparation and instead thought only of those who helped him get there and who were working hard to raise money for the Shane Geoghegan Trust. They, along with a host of family and friends, will be in Shannon Airport on Sunday night to welcome and congratulate him as he flies in at 8.45pm and all are welcome.