At 80 years old Yuichiro Miura became the oldest man to summit Everest today. If the name rings a bell it is because it is the same Yuichiro Miura that skied down Everest, or at least 2500 meters of it, in 1970. Trailing a sort of parachute to slow him down (he could have just made some turns).
Yuichiro told Japanese journalists "I'm the happiest man alive but I've never felt so tired". He arrived at the summit at 12h15 (Tokyo time). His wife sent him a message "Hurry up and come back home". Presumably the trash needs to be put out or something. The geriatric grimpeur and his team are currently descending to camp 4. His dad, Keizo, also holds a record, he skied Mont Blanc aged 99.
For Yuichiro this is the third time he's climbed the highest mountain in the world and this was payback time. In 2007 a 71 year old whippersnapper, Katsusuke Yanagisawa, snatched his 2003 title of the oldest summitier to be followed in 2008 by Min Bahadur from Nepal. This new record may not last long, 82 year old Min is in the starting blocks for another summit attempt this Spring.