William "Bill" Burke, Burbank High School 1960 is believed to be oldest man to climb Mt. Everest.LOS ANGELES -- A 67-year-old man from Costa Mesa who reached the summit of Mount Everest last month is back at home with his family. Bill Burke arrived at Los Angeles International Airport Sunday evening. "It's great to be back. I love it in America, sea level and everything," Burke said about his homecoming.
Burke is believed to be the oldest American to successfully climb Everest. Burke climbed through a Himalayan ice storm to reach the top of the world's highest mountain -- which stands at an estimated altitude of 29,035 feet above sea level. "I've never been in a storm like that in the mountains," Burke said in a call to his wife Sharon after accomplishing the climbing feat on May 22. "Snow, freezing, freezing cold, high winds, it was quite a wild ride.""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. "Jetstream-force winds pounded Burke so hard that snow particles felt like metal pellets on his face when he removed his goggles. Sharon Burke said she was confident in her husband's abilities, but still she waited anxiously to learn the outcome of his final summit push.
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. Burke's family says they're not sure what lies ahead for the adventurer.
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