MOUNTAIN man Rhys Jones will today attempt to reach the highest point yet in his climb of Mount Everest.

The intrepid New Forest teenager hopes to ascend the world's tallest mountain to a breathless point just short of Camp Three at 23,500ft.

Following an "epic" first week in which the 19-year-old survived an avalanche, was stranded by unrelenting snow at Camp One for three nights and rescued a fellow mountaineer, this next stage of the climb is perhaps the most daring.

He has had to cross the perilous Khumbu Icefall, where three sherpas fell to their deaths last week. That was before reaching Camp Two, where his six-man team was expected to stay last night.

Then they must traverse the vertical face of Lhotse (the world's fourth-tallest mountain at 27,939ft) using ropes just to get within sight of Camp Three, and all in temperatures reaching minus 20C.

The challenge, which involves taking supplies up the mountain ahead of the final ascent next month, must be completed before Friday when the weather window is expected to close.

In his dispatches from the Nepalese mountain, Rhys said: "Crossing the mountain face involves technical climbing, using many ropes and always with a drop all the way down the mountain, just beneath your feet.

"The team will only be able to attempt this when the ropes are in place and equipment and stores ferried across.

"Tents at Camp Three are pitched on a very steep and narrow platform fixed to the mountain. Everything has to be done inside the tents!

"The team need to be safely back at Basecamp before Friday as bad weather and heavy snowfall is predicted and they do not want a repeat of last week, trapped for days with little food and fuel."

The former Scout from Bartley in the New Forest is attempting to become the youngest Briton to scale the world's highest mountain and the world's youngest person to complete the Seven Summits Challenge - climbing all of the seven continents' highest points.

Mount Everest is the final hurdle but Rhys has also set himself the challenge of raising £29,035 - £1 for every foot in height of the mountain - in aid of the charity Wessex Heartbeat.