Spend 10 minutes in a freezer at -45°C

The Challenge8000 team, which is bidding to be the first Maltese climbers to scale Mount Everest, will be holding a series of activities this weekend to showcase the gruelling stresses and strains of climbing the world's highest mountain.

At 9 a.m. today, two of the three team members, Gregory Attard and Marco Cremona, will be at Ta' Qali's BOV Adventure Park having a go at the high rope course. The activity will remain open to the public until 4 p.m.

From the BOV Adventure Park, they will head to Ix-Xaqqa at Għar Lapsi to abseil a 20-metre vertical wall. From Għar Lapsi, the trekkers will proceed to Ħaġar Qim. All along they will be accompanied by the public and the last leg of the trek open to the public will be from Birżebbuġa to Marsaxlokk in the afternoon. From Marsaxlokk the two will walk to the Dewfresh blast freezer in Albert Town, Marsa, where they will spend the night in the freezer at -45°C, the temperature normally found at the summit of Everest.

Throughout the weekend the public can experience this extreme temperature by donning the team's mountaineering clothing and spending 10 minutes in the freezer.

The high ropes course at the Ta' Qali BOV Adventure Park will be available to the public today between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Abseiling at Ix-Xaqqa, Għar Lapsi will be available today from noon to 5 p.m. and between 1 and 5 p.m. tomorrow. The blast freezer experience is available between 3 and 8 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow.

Donations will be in aid of the Richmond Foundation.

Registration for activities can be made at the Event 24/8000 stands in Valletta and Sliema today and at the onsite registration desks prior to the start of each organised walk and activity on the day.