07-06-2025
Climber from Leigh becomes youngest Brit to complete three Everest peaks
A CLIMBER has become the youngest Brit and one of just four people to complete the rare 'Everest triple crown' –conquering three Himalayan peaks in a single expedition.
Jay Whiting, from Leigh, completed the challenge last month as he successfully climbed neighbouring mountains Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse in quick succession.
The 'triple crown' involves climbing the three Himalayan peaks in one climb — a challenge that demands extreme endurance, skill, and determination.
Conquered - Jay Whiting, 33, at the summit of Mount Everest. (Image: Jay Whiting) Jay, 33, said: 'This has been a dream of mine for years.
'To complete all three peaks in a single season has been both the hardest and most rewarding thing I've ever done.
'It was a super windy, hard season, so I had to be in good physical and mental shape –But I managed to pull it off.'
Jay climbed Nuptse on May 12, Everest on May 20 and Lhotse on May 23, all in a single expedition alongside his sherpa Dawa Tenji, whom he planned the trip with in advance.
Adventure - Jay Whiting, 33, at the peak on Lhotse in the Himalayas. (Image: Jay Whiting) He was determined to succeed in the challenge after he attempted to climb Nuptse in 2022, but failed to reach the summit after running out of equipment.
Completing the triple crown made him one of only four people in the world to achieve the feat, and the youngest Brit to do so.
Jay has been climbing for ten years, conquering mountains such as Mont Blanc, Matterhorn and Ama Dablam, progressing his climbs in difficulty over the years.
He added: 'I like the commitment, the personal challenge, setting a goal and working towards it – famous people in the climbing world have tried this challenge and failed.'
For this challenge, he had to train for over two years to prepare for the expedition, while working full-time and raising a one-year-old child with his wife.
'The only way to grow as an individual to to explore outside of your comfort zone,' he said.
'It grinds you down and strips you back – Its just you and the mountain.'
Jay fundraised for the climb by collecting donations for LandAid, a charity that combats youth homelessness in the UK and a cause Whiting is passionate about.
He now hopes his story will inspire others to take on their own challenges – whether in the mountains or closer to home.
Visit to donate to LandAid.
