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Devendra Man Singh / AFP - Getty Images
Tamae Watanabe in a picture from 2004.
Updated 1:10 a.m. ET Saturday: Tamae Watanabe, who on May 16, 2002 at the age of 63 years became the oldest woman to climb Mount Everest, smashed her own record on Saturday, reaching the peak of the world's highest mountain at the age of 73, Kyodo news service reported.
Watanabe, a retired office worker, is a veteran climber who has also conquered Mount McKinley, North America's highest mountain, and other top peaks around the world.
She launched her ascent from the Tibetan north side of the mountain, according to EverestNews, which reported she would attempt to reach the peak on Friday.
Watanabe, whose climb to the summit was delayed twice due to erratic weather high on the mountain, was in a "good state of health" after getting to the top, Mainichi Daily News reported. She began the last push to the peak late Friday after weather had eased and reached her goal Saturday morning.
Min Bahadur Sherchan of Nepal is the oldest man to reach the top of Everest at the age of 76 years, 340 days.
Mount Everest stands 29,029 feet above sea level.
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Leave a Comment:
You Go Girl!
The first female to reach Mount Everest was also a Japanese. WOW...
WOW- an acronym related to women too
...yet another impressive example of the 'Japanese work ethic.'
The Japanese are quite a remarkable people. Yet I see this more as an example of what humans can achieve rather than what japanese or women or japanese women can achieve.
Just like Neil Armstrong - who rather than referring to Americans or Men or White Men - referred to the entire Mankind.
I think this serves as inspiration to all of us.
Geeez in the old days it used to be a near impossible feat, now even my grandma can do it
Long Live Francys Arsentiev.
This is the true human endeavour.Kudo to this japanese woman.
Wow! Imagine MSNBC actually posted a noteworthy story for a change, but never reported the pastor in Ft Worth who had to shot and kill an invader that forced his way into his home violently. Imagine that, but kudos to this woman!
You crave negative news stories over positive ones, that says alot about your character. Typical conservative I'm sure, only motivated by fear.
Mr Accountability - Wow, I think this sets a record for an attempt to hijack a thread for one person's own ideological agenda.
The story was about a truly amazing accomplishment by a septuagenarian woman, climbing Mt. Everest. What that has to do with an apparently justified shooting in Ft. Worth Texas, is beyond rational conjecture.
BTW: I quickly googled this shooting. I found several informal references in blogs and non-news sites. I could not find a single reference by any major news agency: not FOX, nor BBC or any other. Why you choose to single out MSNBC for this omission I leave to you to account for, Mr. Accountability.
Jeff Briggs, your mind is like a pin-hole camera. A very limited view of all things.
Typical liberal????
Um, wow. Tamae represents the best of the human spirit.
WOW!! This is great news. My wife and I are planning to go to Tibet within the next 2 years. It is one of our goals to climb Mt Everest and to go as high as possible. I do have a heart condition and a little asthma, but....................."It is what it is". I love this story. She is my hero.
Konichuwa, Domo Arigato Gozaiamsu.
Alberto-San
There are expeditions to Base Camp you can take. :)
i hope you will make it!alberto
Unless you are in exceptional shape, just ascending to the "base camp", at an elevation of 18,000 ft will be quite a challenge.
I've skied at elevations 5,000 ft below that level, and believe me, you do feel the lower oxygen level.
Who said that youth is wasted on the old?
I don't get it but kuddos to her!
Way to go, Ms. Watanabe!
She either has sponsor or is rich for the climb. Hope that she will go all the way to the top and return home safe.
Her bones are made of solid badass.
Congratulations.
Way to go, Hope she makes it down safely. Long life and happiness.
Wow, at 67 I'd be lucky to get past the base of Everest. She's one tough Obasan. Banzai! (hooray)
Congratulations! Awesome feat, I hope you get the chance to do it again and again.
I admire her fortitude. I hope I'm in half that good of shape when I get to be that age. Assuming I get to that age.
Tamae - Congragulations. You made my day. Good Health is about taking care of yourself when you are young. I am almost 70 and still work at a full time job. Takes no type of medication and have great faith and eat right.
Congratulations Tamae!
In my next life, I would like to be very athletic and not afraid of heights, so I can do high altitude climbing. It's not going to happen this time around, I'm afraid, due to some shoulder injuries. But I would love to stand on the world's highest peak. I'll settle for a visit to Base Camp for now. :)
Congratulations! Age is becoming less and less of a barrier to accomplishment. Women have and will continue to overcome extreme challenges. Impressive!
WOW. What an inspiration. Big tip of the hat an incredible feat.
Worldwide culture seems to be increasingly youth oriented. The abilities and personal victories of older people seem to take a back seat to news stories about a lot of silly and irrelevant behavior by younger people who have only their youth to recommend them. As a person in her sixties, I find this accomplishment tremendously motivating.
What a story! About time there were some "oldest-person-to" stories to balance the many "youngest-person-to" stories. I sure hope there will be pictures posted of this great climber at the top of the world--for the second time, no less.
Attractive woman and resilient as well.It's people like her that provide a glimmer of hope for the human virus infecting the earth.
Is she 73 or 63? Either way, her achievement is incredible! I'm 43 and although I try to run or do some other form of exercise each day, it becomes more and more of a challenge each year as I get older. I wonder what sort of diet she maintains to stay this energetic and strong? Sign me up!
I can't imagine doing this climb at the age of 73. I had a hard enough time making this journey in my late 30's six years ago. I've seen first hand several older climbers that couldn't acclimate to the base camp altitude above 17,000 feet. My hats off to her. Good Job.
You go girl! Wow, 73, quite a feat.