Mountaineering legends Sir Chris Bonington, right, and Doug Scott renew their climbing partnership to raise relief funds in the wake of the Nepal earthquakes. Photo: Paul Kingston/NNP

Two of Britain’s climbing elder statesmen will lead a new expedition to climb the height of Everest to help victims of the Nepal earthquakes.

Sir Chris Bonington and Doug Scott launched the scheme, which will see climbers attempt to scale 29,000 feet, at the start of this weekend’s Keswick Mountain Festival.

Next month, they will lead a quest to climb the height of Everest, 8,848m on the ice wall at King Kong Climbing Centre in Keswick and are inviting up to 240 members of the public to join the climb.

To complete the expedition, the team will need to climb the wall 1,000 times within 24 hours, starting on Friday 12 June.

The special event will also commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first British ascent of Mount Everest in 1975, which was led by Bonington and put Scott on the summit. All funds raised by the project will go directly to the Community Action Nepal earthquake appeal.

CAN was founded by Doug Scott and, for 20 years, has provided nurses, health posts, teachers, schools and rescue shelters that serve 250,000 people in remote Nepalese villages.

In the regions that were hit worst by the earthquakes, such as Langtang, Gorkha and Helambu, these vital community buildings have been badly damaged or completely destroyed, and homes have been reduced to rubble.

CAN’s people on the ground are already working directly with local people to offer essential support. 100 per cent of donations made to CAN’s earthquake appeal will go directly towards relief efforts and the rebuilding of communities, the event organisers said.

Doug Scott said: “Lives have been devastated, homes destroyed, families bereaved and children orphaned. It is so incredibly sad.

“Despite all that has happened I am optimistic. The Nepalese are resilient and resourceful, but they need our help.

“Please support #ClimbForCAN, either by getting behind the Sir Chris Bonington 24-hour Everest ice wall challenge, by creating your own challenge or simply donating on our justgiving page.  Any money that you give to CAN goes straight to the coal face. Please help. Whatever you can give goes a long way.”

The project has already secured corporate sponsorship from outdoor brand Berghaus and is being supported by Mountain Fuel – Peak Performance Nutrition, King Kong Climbing Centre and Right Lines Communications.

Keswick Mountain Festival has announced that £1 from every entry ticket or activity wristband sold during the weekend will be donated to the campaign. In addition, the festival will also support a range of other fundraising activities for CAN, including a sale of outdoor kit by Trail magazine in the festival village on Crow Park, from 2.30pm on Sunday 17 May.