A Tywardreath man cycled the equivalent of the height of Mount Everest by completing laps of the Old Hill in Pentewan, raising over £3,700 for Cancer Research UK and earning himself a place in the official Everest Hall of Fame. 

Keen cyclist Matt Ward covered 80 miles and climbed 29,029 feet in 107 laps of the hill, which is one of Cornwall’s steepest and has a gradient of 14%. 

The Matt’s Mountain Madness challenge began at 4.45am, with lap times recorded in multiples of 11s, representing roughly 10% of the total distance and allowing him to take regular breaks. 

The 107th lap, slightly shorter in length, was completed 14 hours later at 6.42pm in The Square, where Matt was showered with Prosecco and congratulated by wife Lianne, owner of Little Bay Café in Pentewan.

The early laps from the base of the hill, off The Square in Pentewan, to the brow and back took about six minutes each, increasing to eight minutes by the end. Around two-thirds of the way through, Matt swapped from a road bike to a mountain bike for ease. 

Several of his long-time cycling mates joined him throughout the day to give encouragement and relieve the monotony of climbing the same hill over and over again. 

The most Matt had ever previously climbed in a day is around 15,000 feet, the equivalent of a single stage in the Tour de France, on cycling trips to the Alps and the Pyrenees. At the end, he described himself as “exhausted but very pleased”. 

Cancer Research UK is a cause close to his heart, and the total raised - just over £3,718 – is all the more remarkable in that it was achieved in a single week. 

“I’d been thinking about doing this for a while, but only decided the week before that the time was right – the weather forecast looked perfect, so it seemed as good a time as any,” said Matt. 

“It’s definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve done long-distance rides and triathlons before.” Matt received official verification over the weekend that he had completed the correct number of laps to earn a place in the Everest Hall of Fame. 

He thanked his friends, residents and visitors for their support on the day, and all those who have generous donations. 

The Matt’s Mountain Madness entry on the Cancer Research UK Giving Page is still active for anyone who would like to add to the total.