Laramie man reaches the summit of Mount Everest

Laramie resident Mark Jenkins has reached the summit of Mount Everest.

Jenkins reached the summit of the world's highest mountain on
Thursday. He called his wife by satellite phone from a lower camp a
few hours later.

The University of Wyoming announced Jenkins' achievement. He
first attempted to climb the mountain in 1986 when he was a
graduate student at the university. He's a writer-in-residence for
the UW master's degree program in creative writing.

The 53-year-old Jenkins also covers assignments around the world
for National Geographic. He's been part of a National Geographic
team climbing Everest to mark the 50th anniversary of the first
American ascent of the mountain.