Everest 2026 – The Irish Summary

Jason Black (55) is from Letterkenny in Co. Donegal. He owns and operates ‘Black Mountaineering’ and will be guiding three Irish clients (Adam, Padraig & Eanna) on Everest this Spring. Jason reached the summit of Everest via the North (Tibet) route in 2013, and in 2018 became only the third Irish person to summit K2, reaching the top shortly after Noel Hanna (Down) and shortly before Robert Smith (Tyrone) to make it an Ulster treble on one of the worlds most notorious mountains, climbing with Madison Mountaineering. In 2015 he climbed Kilimanjaro twice within 24 hours and in 2019 he took part in the ‘World’s toughest adventure race’ in Fiji. As well as Everest and K2, Jason has also climbed Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro & Elbrus and via his company he leads treks to Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Toubkal, Island Peak, Ama Dablam and EBC, among others.

Black Mountaineering began offering trekking trips in 2022, initially to EBC and then branching out to Kilimanjaro, Mera Peak, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Toubkal and Aconcagua. This is their 1st season on Everest and Jason’s first season on the South side (his climb in 2013 was on North side). Black Mountaineering utilises 8k Expeditions in Nepal who provide permits, camp infrastructure, food, group equipment, transport and Sherpa support, while Jason and his team are then responsible for decision-making on the route. This is similar to the structure used by Noel Hanna from Co. Down when he guided his Irish clients within the SST setup back in 2019.

Expedition Website:
www.blackmountaineering.com

Expedition Cost: €55k (~$64k USD)

Adam Sweeney (22) is from Dunmore East in Co. Waterford. He is a student and has deferred college for six months to prepare for Everest and his attempt to become the youngest Irish person to and first from Waterford to climb Everest. In 2020 he cycled around the coast of Ireland while also climbing the highest mountain in each county that he visited, climbing a total of 13,147 meters and cycling 1,689 km in the process. In 2024 Adam took on his first big peak, reaching the summit of Aconcagua in February 2024 with Earths Edge, and later that year he successfully climbed Island Peak and Ama Dablam with Black Mountaineering. He is a client within the Black Mountaineering team on Everest this Spring and this will be his first attempt at an 8000m peak.

Personal Website:
www.irishadventurer.com

Expedition Cost: €55k (~$64k USD)

Padraig O’Hora (33) is from Ballina in Co. Mayo where he works as a liaison officer with Mayo Mental Health Association. He is a former and accomplished Mayo inter-county Senior Footballer and won Connacht SFC titles in 2020 and 2021 and National Football League title in 2023 with his native county. He retired from inter-county Gaelic Football in 2024 and began hiking and climbing later that year, reaching his first major summit in January 2025 on Aconcagua and climbing Gran Paradiso and Mt. Blanc later in 2025. He is a client within the Black Mountaineering team on Everest this Spring and this will be his first attempt at an 8000m peak. Padraig is raising awareness for the Mayo Mental Health Association during his climb and is writing a diary for the Irish Times newspaper throughout the expedition.

Personal Website:
www.padraigohora.com

Expedition Cost: €55k (~$64k USD)

Eanna McGowan (31) is from Dublin, and currently lives in Switzerland. He works in sales and marketing for Johnson & Johnson in Zurich where he has lived since 2024. Eanna was due to climb Everest via the North side with Furtenbach Adventures, but in January 2026 he announced that his plans had changed following news that the Chinese authorities were set to close the North side to foreigners this season, and that he had switched to the South side and switched to the Black Mountaineering team. His past climbs include Kilimanjaro, Matterhorn, Aconcagua, Denali (attempted) and Mt. Blanc (attempted), and he has also completed the Marathon De Sables, Kerry Way Ultra and Ironman events. He is a client within the Black Mountaineering team on Everest this Spring and this will be his first attempt at an 8000m peak. He is fundraising for ISPCC and has set up a gofundme which has raised over €3000 to date with funds split 50/50 between the charity and his own expedition costs.

Personal Website:
www.eannaseverestjourney.com

Fundraising Link:
GoFundMe Link

Expedition Cost: €55k (~$64k USD)

Andy Nolan (46) is from Charleville in Co. Cork, now living in Limerick. He is an adjunct lecturer and PhD student at University of Limerick. He is climbing Everest with the US-based ‘Climbing the Seven Summits’ (CTSS) company, and is part of their Western Guided team. Andy has been climbing since 2018 and is attempting to complete the Seven Summits (Bass list). Everest will hopefully be his seventh and final summit in the series, having successfully climbed Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Denali, Kosciuszko and Vinson. Throughout his Seven Summits, Andy has raised over €100,000 for charities including the Children’s Grief Centre, Irish Cancer Society and LauraLynn Children’s Hospice. For Everest, Andy is raising funds for Children’s Grief Centre in Limerick, with 100% of all funds raised going to the charity.

Expedition Website:
www.climbingthesevensummits.com

Fundraising Link:
idonate Link

Expedition Cost: $75k USD

Philip Collins (38) is from Abbeyfeale in Co. Limerick, and now living in Québec Canada where he works as an electronic engineer. He is climbing Everest with the US-based ‘Climbing the Seven Summits’ (CTSS) company, and is part of their Western Guided team. Philip has been climbing since 2016 and is attempting to complete the Seven Summits (Bass list). Everest will hopefully be his sixth summit in the series, having successfully climbed Kilimanjaro (2016), Elbrus (2017), Kosciuszko (2019), Denali (2022)  and Aconcagua (2024). Philip was a client of Pat Falvey’s during the climbs of Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and Aconcagua, while the Denali expedition (2022) was via Alpine Ascents International. Phillip’s mentor for his Everest expedition is Pat Falvey who has been involved in his climbs since the start of his Seven Summits journey.

Expedition Website:
www.climbingthesevensummits.com

Expedition Cost: $75k USD

Diarmuid Morrissey (60) is from Athlone in Co. Westmeath, and divides his time between Athlone and Portugal. He is climbing Everest with the US-based ‘Climbing the Seven Summits’ (CTSS) company, and is part of their 1-1 Private Western Guided team. Former owner of Direct Medical in Athlone, he sold the company in 2017. He has a long association with Buccaneers RFC in Athlone. This is his third attempt at Everest having previously attempted it with Mountain Trip in 2021 (cancelled part-way due to Covid outbreak) and Furtenbach Adventures in 2022 (got sick at Camp 2). He is attempting to complete the Seven Summits (Bass list), and Everest would be his 7th and final summit of the series. He has climbed Kilimanjaro four times, Aconcagua twice, Elbrus, Kosciuszko, Vinson, Denali, Island Peak & Mera Peak. If successful this Spring, he would become the oldest Irish person and first Westmeath native to summit Everest.

Expedition Website:
www.climbingthesevensummits.com

Expedition Cost: $130k USD

Sarah Armstrong (31) is from Crossmaglen in Co. Armagh. She is climbing Everest with the UK-Nepal company ‘AGA Adventures’. Sarah owns and runs a dental practice in Newry and a gym in Crossmaglen. She played Gaelic Football and Camogie with Crossmaglen Rangers and played Netball for Newry, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, and captained the Irish team to the Youth World Cup. Sarah has been climbing since 2023 and is attempting to complete the Seven Summits (Messner List). So far she has climbed Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua and Carstensz Pyramid as well as completing climbs of Mt. Blanc, Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kazbek and is also aiming to become the youngest Irish woman to complete the Seven Summits. She is fundraising for the Southern Area Hospice in Newry, with 100% of funds going to the charity.

Expedition Website:
www.agaadventuresltd.com

Fundraising Link:
GoFundMe Link

Expedition Cost: No Data

Robert Kelso Smith (55) is originally from just outside Omagh in Co. Tyrone, now living in Fort William, Scotland. He is the Expedition Leader for Adventure Consultants on Everest this season and so is working on the mountain. Rob is attempting to complete his 10th summit of Everest and 15th summit of an 8000m peak having previously climbed Everest 9 times, K2 twice and summitted Lhotse, Manaslu and Cho Oyu. In total, Robert has climbed five of the fourteen 8000m peaks – the most of any Irish climber, and has significant climbing and guiding experience including 8000m peaks, Snow Leopards and extensive Antarctic climbing and polar expeditions to name but a few. His resume also includes 20 summits of Mt. Vinson, as well as climbs of Sidley (x2), Sporli (1st ascent), Shinn (5x), Tyree, Sublime Peak (x2), Branscomb Peak and other smaller peaks in Antarctica. He has also completed 7 ‘Last Degree’ expeditions to the South Pole!

Expedition Website:
www.adventureconsultants.com

Expedition Cost: $83k USD

Frank McCarthy (39) is from Kerry, and currently lives in Dubai. He works as a senior commercial operator turned strategic advisor, based in Dubai and working across the Middle East. He is attempting to complete the Seven Summits and has previously climbed Kilimanjaro (2013), Elbrus (2021), Aconcagua (2023) and Carstensz Pyramid (2026), along with an attempt on Denali in 2025. He has also competed in endurance events including Ironman 70.3. Frank will be attempting a rapid ascent of Everest with the Madison Mountaineering expedition team, via their Express package. That involves three days from arrival in Kathmandu to reaching Everest Base Camp and an accelerated rotation schedule up the mountain. See their Express package here.

Expedition Website:
www.madisonmountaineering.com

Expedition Cost: $80k

Tom Walsh (55) was raised in Galway, and now lives in Seattle USA. He is a Research Professor at the University of Washington, studying inherited breast cancer. Tom was born in London to Irish parents who then moved back to Inverin in Co. Galway when he was a teenager. He later moved to Seattle in 1997. He has previously climbed Aconcagua along with volcanoes in Mexico and Ecuador as well as various peaks in Washington State, including Mt. Rainier. Tom was originally booked with the Alpenglow expedition team on the North (Tibet) side, but when the Chinese authorities closed the mountain he switched to Madison Mountaineering, and will be attempting a rapid ascent of Everest via their Everest Express package. That involves three days from arrival in Kathmandu to reaching Everest Base Camp and an accelerated rotation schedule up the mountain. See their Express package here.

Expedition Website:
www.madisonmountaineering.com

Expedition Cost: $80k