Andre Zlattinger, 35 left home on Sunday on the first stage of a two-month trip which he hopes will take him to the summit of Mount Everest.

It's his second attempt at the earth's highest mountain (29,028 feet.)

Two years ago he joined a team climbing the Tibetan side of Everest but ill-health prevented him reaching his final goal.

Since then he's been training hard by walking the Downs, ice-climbing in Scotland and climbing in New Zealand.

He's been spurred to carry out his dangerous mission by a pledge to raise more than £20,000 for the Royal Marsden Hospital.

After outliving a gloomy prognosis, Andre's mother died from pancreatic cancer last year and he said she was always keen he should try and fulfil a lifelong dream.

This time he and his team will tackle the south side of the mountain from Nepal - the north side is currently inaccessible as the Chinese government wishes to place an Olympic torch on the summit and have requested no interference from climbers.

He will be joined by two friends, each accompanied by an experienced Sherpa.

The threesome fly to Katmandu, then on to Lukla before a 14-day walk takes them to base camp.

They acclimatise themselves to altitude before establishing camps en-route up the mountain - at the summit the oxygen content of the air is one-third that at sea level.

He said: 'We have a small window of weather when we hope the jetstream winds lift off the summit and before the monsoon arrives.'

Andre, who lives at Little Horsted, is senior director in the British paintings department at Sothebys in London.

He and his wife Ruth have two small sons, Freddie, almost four and William, two.

To find out more about his trip or to help sponsor him log onto: www.andre-everest.com