Student mountaineer recounts his achievements

St Andrews student Geordie Stewart addressed an audience of students last week to speak about his experience of climbing the ‘seven summits,’ the highest mountain peaks on each continent. Stewart briefly became the youngest Briton to complete the challenge after climbing Mount Everest this summer.

Geordie spoke to around 150 people in Venue 1 on Monday 28th November, detailing his achievement, and the highs and lows of his climbing experiences. While describing his lowest moment, Geordie’s emotions became quite clear.

He first attempted Everest, the world’s highest mountain, at the age of 20, but failed after his Sherpa and guide became delirious with the cold, and had to be forced to descend by another climber. A second climber was forced to descend when Geordie reached the first step, one of three highly technical rock climbing sections on the ascent of Everest.

Half way up the second step, at a narrow snow ledge, Geordie came across something for which no amount of training could have adequately prepared him. He had to step over the body of a climber who had failed in his ascent some months earlier, frozen solid by nature.

Remarkably, Geordie carried on once more, reaching the top of the second step, where he met another friend who had been forced to turn around further up having run out of oxygen. Time was running out, and Geordie realised that he too would have to return to Base Camp. The psychological torment of having come so close, just 120m of altitude short of the summit, and yet having to give up on a dream, was clear on Geordie’s face.

Geordie spent the next year raising funds through sponsorship and work to attempt the feat again, which tested his psychological mettle to the limit, as setback followed setback.

His second attempt was not quite as troubled as the last, as Geordie had learnt from his previous mistakes, and finally, on the 26th May 2011, Geordie Stewart, at the age of just 22, stood at the highest point on Earth. In doing so, he became the youngest Briton ever to complete the 7 Summit Challenge, the first St Andrews student to reach the peak, and the first man ever to do so in aid of The RNLI, for whom Geordie has raised to date nearly £4,000.

Geordie Stewart on his successful Everest climb