The two climbers at work through the night

Two men have booked a place in the record books by racing each other the height of the world’s tallest mountain.

Tom Lancaster climbed the equivalent height of Everest in 13 hours 25 minutes to beat his friend and rival Jonny Briggs who took a little more than two hours longer – but bagged his own record when he put in an extra leg to set the longest distance climbed on an artificial wall.

Lancaster won the race to the top by making 1,210 ascents of the 7.3m (24ft) vertical climbing wall at the British Leisure Show in Windsor – marking the equivalent of 29,040ft, just over the Himalayan peak’s height above sea level.

Briggs, lagging two hours behind, went one ascent better to achieve the longest climbing wall ascent, 29,064ft, in one go.

Mountain Rescue England & Wales, Heart UK and Amnesty International will benefit to the tune of £5,000 from the men’s efforts, with sponsorship money raised by the event.

Tom completed his climb at 5.29am on Saturday. The end of a gruelling head to head race came as dawn broke, having lasted through the night, in the presence of official witnesses.

Lancaster was jubilant after the event, despite nursing blistered hands and painful tendons in both forearms. “That was without doubt the hardest thing I have ever done,” he said, “especially for the second half or so when an old injury came back and I only had strength in one arm because the muscles in the other had completely given up.

“But it’s done; I have achieved what I set out to do and that is a good feeling.”

Briggs was also suffering by the end of the climb, which he said was a real test of endurance. “By the time it was complete, both my hands and my feet were bleeding,” he said.  “I’ve never felt pain like this in my life, it feels great to have done something no-one has ever done before but I’m so glad I never have to do this again!”

Hammersmith-born Jonny and Tom, from Edinburgh, dedicated their climbs to their friend Rupert Rosedale, who died in an avalanche on Ben Nevis in December 2009.  “He was an amazing man, who taught me how to climb,” said Tom, “and it seemed appropriate that his memory and his life should be celebrated in this way.”

The Guinness Book of Records is now assessing the climb before issuing official confirmation of the world record.