Niece explores life of Everest mountaineer

THE story of Everest explorer Sandy Irvine will be explored in a talk by his niece, Julie Summers.

Irvine was just 22 years old when he died on the upper slopes of the mountain in 1924, but had already excelled in many fields.

A creative engineer, his accomplishments included redesigning the oxygen apparatus for the expedition. He was also an outstanding oarsman, twice rowing in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

Ms Summers has written a number of books on her uncle's life, and will share her findings at the Royal Scottish Geographical Society on 4 March.

Chief executive Mike Robinson said: "This talk is a chance to understand the extraordinary man behind the mythology, and to learn more about the mountaineer who maybe, just maybe, was the first to summit Everest."

For more details, see www.rsgs.org or call 01738-455050.