Man may be the Oldest to Climb Everest

Los Angeles (myFOXla.com) - A 67-year-old Costa Mesa climber who may be the oldest American ever to stand on top of Mount Everest descended safely through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall to base camp today, his wife said.

"He tried to call several times at 3 a.m. but his satellite phone ran out of battery," Sharon Burke said in phone interview. "He and his Sherpa, Mingma, came down together."

Even though Bill Burke had already reached the summit of the world's highest mountain and fulfilled his dream, Sharon Burke said she couldn't relax until he was through the Khumbu, where Himalaya record-keepers say most fatalities on Everest occur.

Another Sherpa on Burke's expedition had already died in the Khumbu, his daughter said. Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa disappeared May 7 when a massive avalanche swept through the icefall, according to Burke's Web site.

The Khumbu is a shifting maze of ice blocks and yawning crevasses that climbers typically navigate with aluminum ladders. Burke has photos of the Khumbu on his Web site, as well as ladders being used in some sections.

"I would not rest until he finished that part of his trip," Sharon Burke wrote online earlier today. "He promised me he would call me as soon as he got to base camp, no matter what time."

The final relief came at 6:30 a.m. Monday, Sharon Burke said in an interview. The satellite phone connection was poor, but it was still clear that her husband was finally safe from the worst Everest could dish out.

Heavy rains are possible in the Himalayan foothills in the next week, which may slow Bill Burke's return to Kathmandu and then Costa Mesa, Sharon Burke said. The earliest he may be home in Costa Mesa is June 7, she said.

On Saturday, Burke described by satellite phone his efforts to reach Everest's summit, which stands at an estimated 29,035 feet above sea level.

"I've never been in a storm like that in the mountains," Burke said in the call, which his wife of 47 years transcribed and posted online.

"Snow, freezing, freezing cold, high winds, it was quite a wild ride," Burke told his wife. "It was really difficult, a very hard mountain. There is nothing about it that is easy. But, thank God we made it and we made it back safely."

Sharon Burke said she first got an e-mail from the climber's base camp about 11 p.m. Friday notifying her of her husband's successful ascent.

She also spoke with her husband about 3 a.m. Saturday as he made his way back down the mountain.

This was Bill Burke's third attempt on Everest. In 2007, he stopped about 100 yards below the summit, fearing he would not have strength to get back down after making the final push to the top.

He tried again in 2008 but had to be evacuated by helicopter after he began suffering from pulmonary edema, said his daughter, Lisa Giger of Newport Beach.

The Burkes believe Bill may be the oldest American ever to stand on top of Everest. Dawes Eddy, 66, of Spokane, Wash., was cited in some news accounts earlier this month as the oldest American to reach the summit.

Bill Burke turned 67 in March.

Al Naipo has the video report.