Conquering communication problems, computer failure, extreme weather conditions and illness, a stalwart of the timber industry has succeeded in climbing to the top of Mount Everest.

James Ogilvie, President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters, Head of Grants & Licences for the Forestry Commission Scotland, author of Adventure Holidays Worldwide, and all-round daredevil, set-off on 25th March to begin his quest, which was part-sponsored by Norbord. So far he has raised £5,550 for the charity Tree Aid which helps alleviate poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and is just £300 away from reaching his target. Any further donations would be gratefully received at www.justgiving.com/jamesogilvie.

On reaching the summit and his safe return, James said, “I feel privileged to be one of the few people to have stood on top of the world. Standing in the jet stream zone and seeing the earth’s curvature is a humbling experience. Naturally and literally the high point of my expedition was standing on the summit and the low point was getting food poisoning and not eating for four days. One of the scariest moments was negotiating the Khumbu Icefall. I want to thank Norbord, my major sponsor, for helping me to realise a dream.”

This is by no means the first challenge James has undertaken to raise money for Tree Aid. In fact, his passion for climbing mountains began with his first expedition to the summit of Kilimanjaro ten years ago. Not content with the highest mountain in Africa, he conquered the Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, then Denali/McKinley, the highest mountain in North America.

His five-and-a-half-mile climb is the equivalent of 3628 sheets of Norbord’s SterlingOSB. Norbord has been at the forefront of supporting and championing sustainable forestry practices for the best part of two decades and whole-heartedly congratulates James on his remarkable achievements.