Business is booming at the top of the world  

KATHMANDU (AFP) - Fancy standing on the top of Mount Everest?

If you have previous high-mountain experience, an understanding boss and about $40,000 to spare, Russell Brice, a New Zealander and leading Himalayan expedition organizers, can probably help.

First conquered in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the 8,848-metre (29,198-foot) peak has since been scaled around 3,000 times, and this spring season was a record breaker with around 530 people getting to the top.

Despite the growing number of climbers jockeying for space on the small summit, climbing Everest is still an incredibly demanding and potentially fatal challenge.

"It's not just about fitness. You have to be physically fit, you also have to be mentally fit," Brice said.

"You need to be able to have determination, to know your own body and ability, how far you can go before you have to turn around, how far you can go before you fall over and die," said the 55-year-old.