Retired professor raises more than £5,000 for Bristol Old Vic in virtual Everest climb

A 74-year-old retired University professor has raised more than £5,000 to help a theatre get through the pandemic by climbing the equivalent of Mount Everest at his home in Bristol.

Ian Sutherland walked up and down the stairs of his house a whopping 573 times - the equivalent to 2,292 floors - to reach the summit.

His climb was 24,432ft in total.

He took on the challenge to raise money for the Bristol Old Vic in honour of his late wife, Rosamund, who was a Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Bristol.

She passed away at the beginning of 2019 and was a big supporter of the theatre.

Bristol Old Vic lost 75% of their income due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, the theatre has continued to support local artists and emerging talent, and continues to provide paid opportunities for artists.

During the virtual expedition, Ian camped out on the roof terrace of his home in Clifton using a tent that his son Andrew used when he scaled Mount Everest for real in 2006.

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