Bolton climbing gym to attempt 'Mt Everest' climb for cancer

Rock Over Climbing, based at 21 Lostock Lane, Bolton, will be hosting the event on January 31 when a six-person team, headed by organiser Sean Goddard, will make an 8,848 metre ascent up the climbing wall as quickly as they can - the same height as Mount Everest.

But the challenge doesn't stop there, as once the team has completed their original almost 9km climb, they're going to continue climbing for another 12 hours as they raise as much money as possible for Climbers Against Cancer, a non-profit group dedicated to funding cancer research.

Sean has been attending the climbing gym three to four times a week for several years, so he has not had to do any specific training to prepare for the challenge (Image: Sean Goddard)

Co-organiser Sean Goddard said: "This isn’t just about pushing our limits – it’s about raising vital funds for Climbers Against Cancer as they support cancer research worldwide.

"Every metre we climb represents hope, strength, and the fight against cancer.

"We’re proud to have the support of Rock Over Climbing, and we’d love for you to join us in making a difference."

Sean and a partner scaling a rock face (Image: Sean Goddard)

The event is hoped to be an 'unofficial world record' according to Sean - the fastest time for a team to scale a height equivalent to Mt Everest.

The record the team are aiming to beat was set on January 18 2013, when a team of 12 climbers at Texas University scaled a height equivalent to Mount Everest in four hours and 24 minutes.

Sean and his team - Chris, Paul, Simon, Cory, and Saarah - are hoping they can beat this record, despite the team being half the size.

Guinness World Records decided not to get involved, saying 'a Guinness World Record must reflect an existing level of competition in a particular field', but they had been 'unable to establish any particular competition in this instance'.

Promotional t-shirt for the event featuring the height of Mt Everest in feet. (Image: Sean Goddard)

Scaling Everest will involve involve doing 368 climbs each of the 24-foot climbing wall.

"I'm very much looking forward to it," said Sean, "it's been a year or so in the making."

"Luckily I go climbing three or four times a week anyway so training hasn't involved too much of a change in lifestyle for me."

The event will take place all day on January 31, 2026.