The Challenge 8,000 team, vying to be the first Maltese group to climb Mount Everest, have just returned from a training expedition in the English Lake District during which they climbed 39 mountains in three days.

Since the aim of the trek was to test endurance thresholds, the schedule included an average of 15 hours of walking per day with 15 to 20kg backpacks.

In September, the Challenge 8,000 team will attempt to reach the summit of Cho Oyu in Nepal - the sixth highest mountain in the world - before taking on Everest in March. The four-man team is made up of Robert Gatt, Marco Cremona, Greg Attard and experienced expedition guide Victor Saunders.

In three days, the team covered over 95 kilometers and logged a total elevation gain of 7,950 metres, just 1,000m short of the summit of Everest. The trek started in Keswick with an 800m climb to Skiddaw - the third highest mountain in England - and finished down Grey Knotts to Honister Pass.

The next training expedition for the Challenge 8,000 team will be in Chamonix in the French Alps in the coming days, where they will polish their ice-climbing skills under the watch of Saunders, the guide who will be leading the team in their Cho Oyu and Everest expeditions. Mr Saunders has reached the summit of Everest four times in the last five years.

For more information about the Challenge 8,000 visit www.challenge8000.net or e-mail press@challenge8000.net