The joy of trackers is you can almost live someone’s dream, or at least trace it vicariously.

So as we watched Tyler climb rapidly higher and onto the upper slopes of Everest, all appeared from afar to be going to plan, and with a positive communication from 8,200 metres, he was headed relentlessly for the summit.

Tyler Andrews was again high on Everest, undertaking the third of his attempts to set a new speed record on the South Side of Everest.

And this time he was again attempting the ascent without oxygen, after a first attempt without oz and a second attempt with it.

But having followed him on the tracker up to around the balcony, he soon after turned around and is now galloping back down the mountain. Having started last night and climbed again into the dark, into the depths of another night, without oxygen, would only have been a rather grueling climb in the dark.

Not to mention of course he would have completely missed the views, sad at the best of times.

Let’s hope his return shows him safe passage back to Base Camp in what was certainly a very valiant attempt at the top of the world.

And from my earlier post when hopes ran a bit higher…

While the tracker, (as ever it seems) seems to be moving a bit slower again, his last indication was that he was in the area of the Balcony, so under a 1/2 km. to go, but a whole lot of vertical when climbing without oxygen.

And the long and steep ridge leading up to the South Summit, then down and across to the Hillary Step, before rising up again to the summit can be a very long and challenging journey. And without oxygen, as darkness sets in it will be a very harrowing climb indeed.

The fact he is trying one last time is both bold and commendable, and as night approaches over the mountain, lets hope his GPS has faded but his breathing has not and he can make those last historic footsteps to the top in a new record time.