IT IS the tallest mountain in the world.

Standing at 8,848m above sea level, Mount Everest is a daunting climb that only a few thousand people can proudly say they have scaled.

But now an intrepid team of lawyers from Southampton are heading to Romsey in an attempt to reach the dizzying height – in just 24 hours.

Employees from law firm Blake Morgan and its claims division BL Claims Solicitors, will be completing the feat at the Golden Gecko Climbing Centre.

They will be led by fellow lawyer and climbing instructor Katherine Ettridge, and will take it in turns to scale the six-metre climbing wall.

Katherine, who is a travel claims specialist for BL, has scaled glaciers in Switzerland before, but never taken on a climbing challenge quite like this.

The 27-year-old, who lives in Chandlers Ford, said: “I have been climbing for about seven years and instructing for three or four years.

“Most people will never get the opportunity to climb Mount Everest, so we will be doing the next best thing!

“We are going to get as many people as possible to climb the height of Mount Everest.”

The firms, which have offices in Southampton, Cardiff, London, Oxford, Reading and Portsmouth, are raising money for one of their chosen charities, the Minstead Training Trust.

The Trust, based in a 17-acre New Forest lodge, helps people with learning disabilities, supporting them to greater independence. They will also be raising cash for Doctors for Nepal, a charity close to the challenge theme.

The challenge will begin at 10am on Friday, January 27 and the climbers – around 30 people, including lawyers and their friends and family – will aim to finish by 10am the following day.

Katherine, who got into climbing through the Air Cadet Organisation, added: “The plan is to have at least one person in the team climbing throughout the 24 hours.

“Some of us will be staying up, however there will be a chance to have a nap on the bouldering mats in the early hours of the morning. It will be hard work, but worthwhile.”

People have also been volunteering to help with counting the metres climbed, supervising climbers, signing people in and making tea and coffee.

The climb is part of a wider fundraising initiative by staff from the firms’ Southampton offices.

They will be holding a series of events over the next two years and have pledged to raise £10,000 to support the work of the Minstead Training Trust.