Record ladder climb attempt

A team of 10 from Frome will attempt to break the world record for the furthest distance climbed on a 10m fire ladder in 8 hours, on Sunday 2nd July.

This record currently stands at 42,290m or 4 1/2 times the height of Everest! The current record is held by a team of firefighters from Kent.

Rachel Clark and her team (not firefighters!) will be climbing the ladder on a purpose-built scaffolding tower outside Frome library during the Independent market on July 2nd from 8.30am until 4.30pm.

The challenge was set up to raise valuable funds for two local causes We Hear You (WHY) a cancer counselling service and Jamie Mines, a friend of the team, who suffered life-changing amputations following an accident at work last year.

Rachel and her brothers, Daniel and Matthew, raise money each year in memory of their mother who died in 2011 from leukaemia. On or around the anniversary of their mother’s death they like to give back and raise funds. Previous challenges have included a non-stop cycle from Frome to Land’s End in 21 hours and last year the team pulled a fire engine for 5km through the streets of Frome. Over the years they have raised in excess of £12,000.

The team would value any support on the day from donations to a cheer when climbing, as Rachel states, “This will be, by far, our toughest challenge yet. We’ve been training for nearly two months to be fully prepared for this ultimate endurance test!”