Now that Jeff Justman has reached the top of the world, all he wants to do is come home.

On Sunday, the guide from Mountain Link mountaineering guide service in Bend reached the summit of Mount Everest, along with five other climbers on his team.

The crew – which included four Sherpa guides – reached Earth’s highest peak (29,035 feet) at 6:30 a.m. Nepal time.

Julie O’Neil, who works at the Mountain Link office in Bend, said she spoke with Justman on Tuesday night.

”He said it was amazing,” O’Neil said. ”He said it was probably the hardest thing he’s ever done. Then he talked about getting home. He’s really anxious to get home.”

Justman and his crew were among 60 climbers to reach the summit on Sunday during the first break in the weather on the mountain this year.

In an e-mail dispatch, Justman wrote that the summit day was perfectly clear with no wind. He added that he had minor frostbite on both big toes.

Justman reached the summit with Craig Van Hoy of Portland, a guide with Go Trek Expeditions. Both Justman and Van Hoy made their summit push after their clients had turned back. Justman began the trip with a man and woman from New York City, who both left the expedition for medical reasons. O’Neil said she did not know why Van Hoy’s clients left.

Justman and Van Hoy decided they would finish what they started, and they joined forces to achieve their ultimate goal.

”It was sad the other climbers had to go,” O’Neil said, ”but it was great that the other members could stay on and see their goals realized.”

According to O’Neil, the team is now on its way back to Katmandu, Nepal, a four-day trek from Mount Everest base camp. Once they reach Katmandu, she said, the team members plan to go directly to a bar called the Rum Doodle. Perhaps to drink, but also to sign the Everest Summiteers Club wall, where most of the climbers who have reached the top of the world also have signed.

At least 1,300 climbers are believed to have reached the summit of Everest.

Nearly 200 have died in the attempt.

Justman and his team were on Mount Everest for more than a month, acclimatizing and waiting for the right moment to make a push for the summit.

Throughout that month, Justman sent several e-mails to friends, family and others interested in his quest for the summit. In many of those e-mails, he wrote of how much he missed regular food.

”That’s probably one of the things he’s most interested in,” O’Neil said. ”He’s lost a lot of weight.”

Mark Morical can be reached at 383-0318 or mmorical@bendbulletin.com.