TRAINEE firefighters in North Yorkshire are taking on the mammoth challenge of climbing the equivalent of the highest mountain on earth, Everest, twice on their ladders.

Starting at 6am today at the North Yorkshire Fire Training Centre in Easingwold, 15 trainees from the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are aiming to complete the challenge in 14 hours - and by the end of the task, the team will have covered a total of 17,696 metres.

The team reached the height of Big Ben, which equates to 96 metres, in just minutes. They have already passed the heights of the Eiffel Tower, Whernside of the Yorkshire Three Peaks and the Burj Khalifa building.

At around 11.30am, the team reached the equivalent of the height of Mount Everest. At around 1.20pm, they reached the equivalent of the depth of the Mariana Trench at 11,034 metres.

They are taking on the challenge to support The Fire Fighters Charity - which assists firefighters in need by providing pioneering treatment and support services.

A spokesperson from the North Yorkshire fire service said: "The charity needs our support more then ever with the coronavirus pandemic bringing a lot of the traditional fundraising efforts to a halt.

"It costs over £9 million every year to keep the Charity running, and with no government funding, they are completely reliant upon donations from the general public and fire community to support."

The team set themselves a target of raising £2,000 for the charity, which they have already smashed.

Their donation page remains open, so to give them your support, click here.