A WESTCOUNTRY mountaineer is leading a group of adrenalin-junkies on the first ever skydive over Mount Everest.

Nigel Gifford, OBE, founder of Wells-based adventure travel company High & Wild, has taken 32 skydivers – including some novices – from around the world to jump from 29,500ft over the world's highest mountain.

The team trekked for six days to a camp 12,350ft up the mountain to acclimatise to the altitude.

The first jumps, scheduled to be carried out on Friday, had to be postponed due to cloud, but on Sunday three brave souls set off in a plane to free fall at speeds over 140mph.

Mr Gifford had been planning the trip for two years so that he could marry his two loves – skydiving and mountaineering. It is a world first, as permits have never before been issued to skydive in the Everest region.

Speaking from the drop zone at Syangboche, Nepal, yesterday, he said: "We have made over 50 landings while we've been here from different altitudes ranging from 18,000 to 22,000 to the full height of 29,500ft. From the top height they're doing over a minute of free fall and everybody says it's absolutely awesome.

"Everything that we've developed for this adventure, from the oxygen systems to the face masks to the gloves, everything has worked perfectly. We feel we've advanced sports skydiving at high altitude even further with this event."

Winchester-born Holly Budge, 29, was one of the first to take the plunge. She described the skydive as "amazing, just spectacular".

The adventurers had to part with £12,675 for a solo skydive or £16,870 to have the security of being strapped to a professional.

The jumps are due to take place right through the week until Saturday. Among the other British skydivers are 72-year-old scientist Alan Walton, who has never jumped before, and Molly Bedingfield, mother of pop singers Natasha and Daniel.