Newmarket businessman Werner Berger came down to earth and was back home yesterday after becoming the oldest North American to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

The 69-year-old consultant plans to resume work next month on a film about his climb as an inspiration to North Americans to live healthily without relying on drugs, he said yesterday.

"He's done some pretty amazing things and we're glad to have him back," son Karl said as he and 20 relatives greeted their patriarch at Pearson airport.

12 YEARS LATER

When Berger climbed to the top of the world on May 22, he also became the oldest North American to have reached the tallest peaks on seven continents -- 12 years after climbing his first.

After watching his dad's Everest success on satellite TV, Paul told his brother: "Typically parents live life vicariously through their children, but dad's doing it the other way around."

"It was a wonderful experience but it was extremely hard," Berger said, pausing for a cough that could last into July, typical after returning from a dry, high altitude. "There were high winds, with snow blowing all the time.

'CAKEWALKS'

"The other six were cakewalks by comparison," he said of his reaching the top of Mt. McKinley in Alaska in 1995, Aconcagua in Argentina, Elbrus in Russia, Vinson Massif in Antarctica, Kosciuszko in Australia and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

It all began during a 1989 self-development workshop in which participants were challenged to write down three things they never thought they might achieve.

Berger chose climbing the Matterhorn, Kilimanjaro and seeing Everest's base camp.

"If we can get people to dream and them to do what they never thought they would do, I think everybody has the ability to move mountains," he said.

As for future mountain climbs, Berger chuckles -- already planning to mark his 70th birthday in July 2008 on Kilimanjaro.