Darren Edwards and Bryn Posey

Two charity challengers are midway through their ‘staycation’ version of climbing Everest.

Darren Edwards and Bryn Posey are aiming to climb more than the height of the top Himalayan peak during their fundraising trip around Britain. They hope to collect at least £8,848 – a pound for every metre of the mountain’s height above sea level.

The duo kicked off their mission to ‘run, hike and crawl’ their way over ten British peaks on Monday, with a early morning ascent of Ben Macdui, the country’s second highest mountain, in the Cairngorms. Three hours after summiting the peak, they were on their way up Ben Nevis.

Also on their itinerary are Ben Lomond, Skiddaw, Scafell Pike, Helvellyn, the Old Man of Coniston, Snowdon, Cadair Idris and Pen y Fan.

Skiddaw, in the northern Lake District, is on the pair's tick list

The UK Everest Challenge involves 129km (80 miles) of running and walking with 16,000m (52,493ft) of ascent and descent. The route is timed to take five days.

Charities to benefit from the men’s effort are: Children with Leukaemia; the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease; Skill Force and Help for Heroes.

The men are being driven between their peaks by a third support member of the team. The Scottish scenery has obviously impressed Mr Edwards, who blogged: “The journey between Ben Macdui and Ben Nevis was not only breathtaking but the scenery was simply stunning. It was as if it was being painted for us by the gods.

“I just could not get my head around the sheer beauty of it all.”

The men decided, rather than try and raise money for an actual Everest attempt, they would bring in charity cash instead while climbing the equivalent height. The total height of the mountains climbed is 10,153m (33,310 ft).

Details of the challenge, and links to the men’s blog are on the UK Everest Challenge website.