A MOUNTAINEER who has climbed some of the world’s tallest peaks will be the guest speaker at a fundraising ball next month.

Nigel Vardy, who suffered severe frostbite at 20,000 ft after his 1999 climb up Alaska’s Mt McKinley, will entertain diners at the Telemark Winter Ball at Plymouth’s Royal Citadel on Saturday 28 November.

The night is in aid of the British Telemark Ski Race Team, which is currently preparing to compete in the Telemark World Cup, a series of 28 races across Europe and the US.

Nigel, who began travelling in the early 1990s and has now visited most continents, is the author of Once Bitten, which details his time on Mt McKinley. His experiences were also filmed for the Discovery Channel and Channel 4.

Despite losing his fingers and toes, Nigel still climbs and has since completed a British first " scaling the highest peaks on the world’s seven largest islands.

Rachel Morgan, the Ladies GB champion for Telemark skiing, said: “We think the big selling point is Nigel Vardy. He’s an inspirational character and very charismatic. I know that all members of the team are really looking forward to the evening. It gives us a chance to mix with athletes of all abilities from all sports. This is not just about skiing, it is about the infectiousness of sport in general.

“What’s more, the evening is taking place in the stunning surroundings of the Officers’ Mess of the Royal Citadel, a venue most people outside of the Armed Forces never get to see.”

A donation from the evening will be made to the Commando Gunner Memorial Fund, which is a project to build a lasting memorial monument in front of the Royal Citadel where friends, family and members of the public can commemorate and remember the lives of fallen comrades who have been killed while serving on operations with 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

The evening begins at 7pm and also includes live music from eight-piece bank Funky Skunk.