DAREDEVIL doctor Alistair Sutcliffe waved goodbye to his patients yesterday as he set off for the roof of the world.

The 41-year-old GP set off from his home in Whitby, North Yorkshire, bound for the foothills of the Himalayas and his biggest mountaineering challenge yet.

Some time in the middle of May, he hopes to set foot on the top of Mount Everest and, in doing so, raise thousands of pounds for Scarborough's St Catherine's Hospice.

To send him on his way, the hospice presented him with a St Catherine's flag that Dr Sutcliffe hopes to plant at the summit.

The GP, whose wife, Clare, is a surgeon in Scarborough, has been through punishing training to prepare for Everest and has ensured he is mentally up to the task.

He will make the ascent gradually to acclimatise himself to the different weather conditions as he gets higher, and expects to start his final ascent in about six weeks.

His Everest climb is part of an attempt to become one of only 100 people who have climbed the seven highest mountains in each continent. He has already scaled three, but Everest will be his biggest challenge.

He climbs with friends and has already climbed Aconcagua, the tallest peak in South America, Vinson, the highest in Antarctica, and McKinley, the highest in North America.

St Catherine's Hospice director of fundraising Mandy Mellers said: "We will be watching his progress with great interest and excitement and willing him on to the top.

"How wonderful it would be to see St Catherine's flag flying on top of the highest peak in the world."

Donations can be sent to Dr Sutcliffe via the Fundraising Centre, St Catherine's Hospice, Throxenby Lane, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Y012 5RE. Mark envelopes Everest Expedition.