Kathmandu, May 24:

Sixty-two mountaineers, including 25 foreigners and four young Nepali women, scaled Mt Everest today.

Shailee Basnet, correspondent of Himal newsmagazine and member of the 10-member Inclusive Sagarmatha Women’s Expedition 2008, was among those who scaled the 8848-metre peak today. With Basnet’s ascent, nine members of the expedition have made it atop Everest.

The 10th member, Juru Shrestha, is attempting to scale the peak alongside Min Bahadur Sherchan, 76, the oldest person on the Everest bid so far.

Tourism ministry officials said 161 climbers had scaled Everest in the last three days.

Meanwhile, rescuers said they were finding it difficult to bring down the body of Spanish climber Ignacio Ochoa de Olza due to a steep slope and inclement weather. The rescuers climbed down from the spot where Inaki died yesterday, said trekking agent Nima Nuru.