Maltese mountaineer Nicky Ellul has successfully summited Lobuche East (6,119m), marking a key milestone in his acclimatisation programme as he prepares for an ambitious ascent of Mount Everest (8,849m), a statement said.

Ellul began his summit push in the early hours of Sunday 19 April, departing from Advanced Camp at approximately 5,300 metres at 2am.

Climbing through the night in cold, high-altitude conditions, he maintained a steady and controlled pace, reaching the summit at 5.30am.

After successfully completing the ascent, Ellul safely descended back to Advanced Camp before continuing down to Lobuche (4,940m).

His swift recovery and continued descent showed both his strong physical condition and effective acclimatisation at altitude.

He is scheduled to return to Everest Base Camp (5,364m) on Monday 20 April, where he will resume preparations for the next phase of his expedition.

The successful climb of Lobuche East represents an important step in Ellul's journey, confirming his readiness to begin the critical rotation phase on Mount Everest.

This stage will see him progressively ascend to higher camps before making his final push toward the summit of the world's highest peak.

Readers can follow his journey via his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/nicky_ellul83?igsh=MmtxdmpydGJvZHVh