Our children will never forget the time they climbed Everest...

Tue 12th May 2009

Earlier this year Innovative Leisure supplied a Mobile Climbing Tower to Redcar and Cleveland Council’s East Cleveland Adventure Partnership and in the short time since they took delivery the Mobile Climbing Tower has proved to be a huge success especially in local schools.

One recent high profile event took place at Ravensworth Junior School in Normanby where pupils attempted to scale the equivalent height of Mount Everest in just 24 hours.

Headteacher Kevin Skelton arranged for a 7.3 metre high Mobile Climbing Tower to be put up at the Ravensworth Avenue school for the 24-hour challenge. The youngsters, together with parents, friends and staff at the school, climbed through the day and night to scale a massive 8,850 metres between them to reach the equivalent of Everest's summit. To meet the 24 hour challenge, said Mr Skelton, they had to average 370 metres an hour between them up the tower which was provided by Redcar and Cleveland Council's East Cleveland Adventure Partnership. A "base camp" was also set up on the playground complete with tents for the night-time climbers from the junior school's Year 6.

"It is an immensely difficult task, but not impossible - just like climbing the real thing," said Mr Skelton. "All of our children have already had some climbing experience so they know what they are letting themselves in for. "Every school should have its magical moments that children can look back on with fondness and pride.

"I hope our wonderful children will never forget the time they stayed at school and climbed through the night under floodlights to conquer Mount Everest."

The event, sponsored by the newly-opened Go Outdoors store at Portrack, Stockton, will raise money to buy a new low ropes activity course for the school and to support the vital work of the Cleveland Search and Rescue Team. The search and rescue team - which includes fellow head teacher Carl Faulkner from nearby Normanby Primary School - were also on hand to support the effort.

 

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