For a man about to set off to climb Mount Everest, Nabil Lodey, an associate in Freshfields’ international arbitration group, has a worrying confession. “I’m not a traditional mountaineer,” the 34-year-old says. “I’ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and some small peaks in the Alps, but that’s it.”

Lodey is flying out to Kathmandu on March 20 on an expedition in which he will swap the stresses of the law for the life-threatening task of climbing Everest. He makes no bones about his lack of serious mountaineering experience. “I know many people attempt Everest having climbed peaks such as Aconcagua [the highest mountain in South America] and the more challenging summits of the Alps, but that would entail three or four years of taking lengthy trips and time off work. I feel the time is right for me to attempt Everest now, when I’m financially secure, have no dependents and can afford to take the time off.”

Lodey’s attitude might come across as cavalier, but it is not. Indeed, a glance at his CV reveals a predilection for life on the edge allied with finely calibrated risk-taking. This is a man who, fresh from his degree in economics at Queen Mary, University of London, joined the Royal Navy. He soon found himself seconded as a UN observer to the de facto independent Caucasian republic of Abkhazia in the midst of its secession attempt from Georgia. “My role involved a blend of diplomatic and legal skills,” he says. “We’d often be called to meet the opposing sides on the ceasefire line and assess what had happened.”

In his 11 years with the Navy, during which he qualified as a barrister, Lodey also saw service in Baghdad, Basra and Afghanistan before joining Freshfields last year. A year later, he had itchy feet. “It had always been a dream of mine to take on a really big adrenalin challenge. I’ve always wanted to find out what my personal limits are. For family reasons, too, I was keen to do something for charity.” Because he used to row competitively, Lodey toyed with the idea of rowing the Atlantic. Ultimately, though, the allure of Everest took hold. As if this isn’t dangerous enough, Lodey is forfeiting job security for the climb.

“The expedition entails a lengthy period off work and Freshfields dooesn't operate a scheme where employees’ jobs are kept open while they do these kinds of thing,” he explains. “I’ve therefore had to resign and will reapply when I return. With luck, I'll complete the climb and be able to take up my old job.”

Lodey is taking on Everest with Peak Freaks, the Canadian company [www.peakfreaks.com], along with seven other clients. His trip is self-funded. “I’m following my dream and will not take any money to subsidise a personal ambition,” he says. Moreover, all money raised through donations and sponsorship will go directly to the charity of his choice - Unicef.

What are his chances of a successful summit attempt? Lodey admits that he has read Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, an account of a disastrous Everest expedition in 1996 in which eight climbers were killed and several others stranded by a rogue storm. The book and its events led to criticism of guiding companies that take inexperienced clients into environments as severe and potentially fatal as Everest. “I asked the company a huge amount of questions about the expedition and especially about my lack of experience. I was reassured by its professionalism. The fact is that we’ll be in the mountains for three months and during the first few weeks, at low altitude, we’ll be learning a huge amount about mountaineering.”

There will be those who will say that taking on Everest as an accomplished mountaineer is a high risk, but that attempting it with such relative inexperience is mad. But if anyone can do it, it is the determined former Navy officer from Freshfields.

Nabil Lodey’s summit attempt will take place towards the end of May or in early June, depending on weather conditions. He will be writing an account of the mission on Facebook. To donate to Unicef, go to www.justgiving.com/everestexpedition

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