Michael Kobold, a watchmaker from Robinson, has scaled Mount Everest, reaching the summit last night with fellow expedition member Sir Ranulph Fiennes, reports Mr. Kobold's assistant.

Another local member of the expedition, Will Cross, an educator and explorer who suffers from type 1 diabetes, did not reach the summit as previously reported.

		More on the expedition Read Mr. Kobold's Everest Diary at www.post-gazette.com/pg/09123/967454-37.stm.

It was early morning in Kathmandu when Mr. Kobold placed a telephone call to his staff at Kobold Watch Co. from the summit. According to Mr. Kobold's assistant, Josh Vandergrift, he said, "This has been the hardest thing I've ever done, and without the SEALs' help I sure would not have made it to the top."

Mr. Kobold trained with the Navy SEALs for the arduous climb, and his team raised a flag depicting the Navy SEAL trident atop the summit in honor of wounded and fallen SEALs.

Kobold was the driving force behind the 2009 Everest Challenge Expedition in support of fallen and injured the SEALs; he trained with them for approximately two months on their base in Coronado, Calif., before heading to Nepal.

The expedition's other team members include Fiennes, whom the Guinness Book of World Records describes as the world's greatest living explorer; and Kenton Cool, the British mountain guide who has reached the Everest summit a record seven times.