THREE teenagers are aiming to “climb” Mount Everest this week in a bid to raise hundreds of pounds for York Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit.

Christopher Ross, Ben Rule and Sam Woodcock, who are all Year 11 pupils at Archbishop Holgate School, York, are hoping to scale a combined total of 9,000 metres – the height of the world’s highest mountain – on the ten-metre climbing wall at Energise, in Acomb.

The trio say they were inspired to raise funds for the unit after the baby of a member of staff at the school was cared for there. Sam also spent time in the unit when he was a baby.

The support group provides specialised medical or surgical equipment and improved amenities and facilities including education and vocational training.

Christopher, 16, of Stamford Bridge, Sam, 15, of Fangfoss, and Ben, 15, of Badger Hill, York, are planning to climb the wall as many times as possible every day this week, while not preventing other people from using it.

Christopher said that by lunchtime yesterday, they had already managed to climb the wall a combined total of 400 times, and might carry on if they managed to complete their target of 900 climbs before Friday.

“It is tiring, though not as tiring as we’d feared,” he said, adding they had developed a few blisters.

The three of them were being belayed throughout by Sam’s brother Josh, his father Mike and Oliver Hedges. Christopher thanked the leisure centre for agreeing to waive the climbing fees during the project.

The climbers, who have a target of £1,000, already have more than £300 accumulated in sponsorship.

Christopher said cheques, payable to York Special Care Baby Unit Support Group, could be sent to the unit, with a note to explain what they related to, but donations could also be made online at www.justgiving.com/Christopher-Ross1