Caradog Jones

Who is Caradog Jones?

Caradog "Crag" Jones is a noted Welsh climber. Whilst he has achieved a number of firsts on peaks around the world, he is most well known for being the first Welshman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, a feat he achieved on 23 May 1995, at the age of 33. As such he was the 724th climber to reach the summit. The final ascent was made with Michael Knakkergaard-Jorgensen, the first Dane to the summit. At 33, Jones was the same age as Edmund Hillary when he reached the summit, and indeed this was achieved virtually 32 years on to the day.

Jones was born and bred in Pontrhydfendigaid, a village near Tregaron, Ceredigion, in mid-Wales. He has admitted that as a boy he was inspired by the exploits of the early Everest pioneers, whom he read about because they undertook much of their pre-expedition training in Snowdonia.