Balloon bid on Everest solo record

BRITISH adventurer David Hempleman-Adams plans to set the world record for a solo flight in a hot air balloon over the world's highest peak Mount Everest this month.

Hempleman-Adams, 44, will take off in an open-basket balloon from the 16,000ft Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet and fly as high as 35,000 ft across the Himalayas over Everest into Nepal.

"Getting the right track and wind speed for the take-off would be the most difficult part of the entire journey," said Hempleman-Adams who left Nepal for Tibet yesterday.

"It is up to God," he said. "Up to now he has been very good to me."

The rare flight, planned for sometime after September 20 could last between two and six hours. Hempleman-Adams will be using oxygen tanks and wear a parachute during the odyssey.

He also has mountain climbing gear and food enough for 10 days on the balloon if he crashes or has to parachute onto the mountain.

Copyright 2001 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.