From left: Douglas Barbaro Sant, Matthew Xerri, Gregory Attard and Raphael Fenech Adami at a charity dinner held in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

Four climbers are leaving today for a two-month expedition in an attempt to become the first Maltese to summit the highest mountain in the world from the north ridge route in Tibet.

Apart from battling the extreme conditions and surviving in one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth, the team is also attempting to raise €1 for every foot they climb.

The target sum is €30,000 as Mount Everest is 30,000 feet high (8,848 metres) and the proceeds will go to Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

Leading the expedition will be experienced mountaineer Gregory Attard, who had already successfully summited the mountain four years ago by taking the southeast ridge route from Nepal together with Robert Gatt and Marco Cremona.

The 37-year-old medic admits he was shaken by the news that a sherpa (a member of a people who live in the Himalayas and who are often hired to help guide mountain climbers and carry their equipment) recently died of altitude sickness at base camp (5,300 metres in altitude).

“I knew his brother well. I can’t believe he died of altitude sickness. He was extremely experienced – and he has lived his entire life in a village which is at 4,300 metres above sea level.”

He explains there is a very fine line between pushing on and knowing when to turn back: “Summit fever tends to blur reason. I hope we summit as a whole contingent – that’s my greatest wish.”

At 52, Raphael Fenech Adami is the eldest member of the expedition but has climbed a number of mountains, including Island Peak in the Himalayas and Mount Elbrus.

He reveals that the Everest challenge was the one he had on his mind since 12 years ago.

“I finally got my chance. You need to know your own body and gauge how it is responding.

“It’s all about endurance – physical and mental as you have to train yourself to march along for hours on end.

“I hope that physically I’m up to it. I’m used to being the oldest though – in the 2005 Lifecycle challenge, they called me ‘dad’.

“In the 2012 one, they called me ‘granddad’!”

Twenty-six-year-old Matthew Xerri is the youngest member.

He has trekked in the Alps and Mount Kilimanjaro.

“I feel very well prepared – we’ve trained hard in the last couple of months. I think that my strength is the fact that I pay attention to detail – in fact, I’m packing extra materials just in case the others would run out of something.

“My weakness is that this is my first climbing experience at such a high altitude.

“I don’t know how my body will handle it. However, I’m used to being exposed to harsh environments and spending time away from home.”

Douglas Barbaro Sant, 37, has participated in a number of endurance tests, having scaled Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas and having run the Marathon des Sables, a gruelling six-day race across the Sahara desert.

“I’m an adrenaline junkie. What inspired me is the thrill of adventure. I believe that my strength is the ability of working with a team and bringing people together.

“My weakness is the fact that I haven’t been anywhere close to over 7,000 metres in altitude.

“I’ll also be missing my family, especially my three young daughters, very much.”

The Maltese expedition will be independent of other expeditions. The team will attempt the 15-hour climb to the summit during the first opportune weather window during the first week of May.

To donate, go to www.everest14.com/charity.