Teens net 40 Mount climbs for 40 Hour Famine

Otumoetai College students Caitlin Knox and Makayla Torrey each made 11 trips to the summit of Mauao to raise money for the 40 Hour Famine. Photo/George Novak

A gutsy 11 hour effort by two Otumoetai College social studies classmates has helped raise about $500 for the 40 Hour Famine.

Caitlin Knox and Makayla Torrey each made 11 trips to the summit of Mauao yesterday, adding to the four notched up on Saturday until miserable weather conditions made it unsafe to continue.

Together with the support from 10 other Year 9 classmates who each summited once on Saturday, it meant the group achieved their goal of 40 symbolic ascents and descents of Mauao.

"We planned it ourselves."

The girls said their inspiration was the 40 Hour Famine's focus country of Bangladesh where more than eight million children were malnourished.

If we stopped we would let ourselves down. The class has high expectations...

Makayla Torrey

Makayla said climbing up and down Mauao symbolised the exhaustion and fatigue that the children of Bangladesh felt in their day-to-day lives, like girls who walked hours to collect water or boys who were forced to work eight hours a day carrying bricks, leaving two hours for education.

Caitlin and Makayla continued eating in order to keep up their strength, unlike their classmates who were sponsored for every hour they did not eat a meal. The students aimed to reach a class fundraising target of $1600.

It was the most physically challenging experience the two girls had ever attempted, made more difficult by the Saturday's wet weather meaning they had to squeeze more ascents and descents into yesterday.

Otumoetai College students Makayla Torrey and Caitlin Knox each made 11 trips to the summit of Mauao to raise money for the 40 Hour Famine. Photo/George Novak

Caitlin said conditions were cold and wet on Saturday, with students already soaked before setting off on their mission after collecting last minute street donations. Wet weather settled in until they could not even see the summit and eventually the two girls had to call it a day.

Makayla said they were determined to make the target of 40 summits. "If we stopped we would let ourselves down. The class has high expectations.."

They took the steepest most direct route and by the time they were half way through their target they were getting to know the track very well indeed and counted down the 28 flights of steps. Talking and singing helped raise their spirits.

Interviewed afterwards, Caitlin said she felt knackered and was looking forward to relaxing in the Mount Hot Pools before enjoying a good meat and an early night.