Sandy Irvine, left, with George Mallory
A relation of a tragic adventurer at the centre of a mountain mystery will entertain outdoor fans with a series of talks.
Julie Summers, the great-niece of Sandy Irvine, will deliver her presentation at three venues across England.
Ms Summers, who wrote a biography of the ill fated mountaineer, has produced her Everest Needs You, Mr Irvine, talk with illustrations to bring to life the account of Irvine’s attempt, with George Mallory, on the world’s highest peak.
The disappearance of Mallory and Irvine close to the summit of Everest in June 1924 is perhaps the most romantic and the greatest unsolved mountaineering mystery. The discovery of Mallory’s body in 1999 answered none of these questions but it excited speculation and enthralled a new generation.
At 22, Sandy Irvine was the youngest member of the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition but he was far from the inexperienced ingénu that history has suggested.
Irvine's great-niece and biographer Julie Summers
He crammed into his short life what few men achieve in a lifetime: from outstanding mechanical inventions during the First World War, via a double blue in rowing at Oxford and exploration in the Arctic, to a passionate love affair with his best friend’s stepmother, and perhaps standing on the summit of the world.
Proceeds from the talks, which are hosted at Ellis Brigham shops in London, Bristol and Manchester and supported by outdoor brand Arc’teryx, will go to the Mountain Heritage Trust.
Climber Sandy Allen will also deliver a talk during the events.
In 2013 he made an extraordinary new ascent of 8,125m Nanga Parbat, the 9th highest mountain in the world by the 13km long Mazeno Ridge.
The climb took 18 days and the team crossed seven peaks over 7,000m along the way. After 13 days they ran out of food and most opted to descend. But Sandy and his partner continued spending three days without water. It was an astonishing exercise in human endurance and determination by two men in their 50s – one of the most remarkable Himalayan climbs ever.
The Mazeno Ridge recalls his extraordinary feat. The evenings will also include a showing of Determination a short Alpine film following Arc’teryx athlete Luka Lindič.
Tickets for the evenings cost £8. More details are on the Ellis Brigham website.
