There’s a battle for geriatric bragging rights going on at the top of the world, after an 80-year old Japanese man made it to the top of Mount Everest.

Yuichi Miura has had four heart operations in recent years.  But he made it to the top of Everest on Thursday, using a satellite phone to contact his family back home to say, “I made it!”

“I never imagined I could make it to the top of Mt Everest at age 80. This is the world's best feeling, although I'm totally exhausted. Even at 80, I can still do quite well.”

Yuichi climbed Everest when he was 70 and again when he was 75.  But at 80, he now holds the record for Oldest Man to Scale the World’s Highest Peak.

Until next week.

Nepal's Min Bahadur Sherchan was 76 when he conquered Everest in 2008, as the record holder.  He is now 81 years old, and planning to tackle the mountain again next week, despite suffering some digestive problems and a shortage of funding for his climbing team.