Activists scale Attenborough Tower to raise funds for Nepal

It’s 171 times smaller than Everest

Attenborough Everest leicester Nepal UoL

Leicester students and staff have climbed the Attenborough Tower in a fund-raising effort for the Nepal Earthquake.

Between 9:30 and 3:30 today students and lecturers climbed the 270 steps of Attenborough to raise money for the Disasters Emergency Committee Nepal Earthquake.

The Attenborough Tower, the tallest building on the University of Leicester’s campus, stands at 52 metres high.

As Mount Everest stands at 8848 metres, Attenborough had to be scaled at least 171 times in order to scale the height of Everest.

18th floor summit

Lucy, a History finalist who climbed Everest last year said:

“This is a really great effort, I’m so glad to see our uni are supporting Nepal. It’s so sad because it’s such a beautiful country and the people are so lovely and happy.

“The school I fund-raised for and helped to paint is in the worst affected area. And all the Sherpas we were with on the climb, I have no idea what happened to them.

“Everyone needs to give what they can.”

Don’t look down

Initially, the target was to raise £1710 (£10 for each climb). By the end of the day, with 359 climbs racked up, the total stood at £4454.

Those scaling the mammoth peak in between lectures, students were greeted with a message on the fifteenth floor piping that pretty much encapsulated how many exhausted climbers felt by the end of the day.

But many charitable members stuck it out, with one staff member making the climb seven times.

The elusive V.C. even showed up to do a climb for the cause.

Climbers start their ascent

On the Facebook event for the climb, the organisers said:

“We honour the memories of all those who have died, among them the University of Leicester postgraduate student Dr Marisa Eve Girawong. We honour her life and work in mountain medicine.

You can also donate to the cause here.