Students from John Bentley were exhausted after taking part in a sponsored climb and attempting to scale the equivalent of the UK’s three highest peaks at Calne Leisure Centre.

Thirty two students, who hope to be part of the school’s Norway expedition team, took part in the climb on Thursday last week to raise money for the trip in 2015.

All together they went up and down the leisure centre’s climbing wall, which is more than six metres high, 590 times. They suffered aching arms and tired hands, and some were even forced to conquer a fear of heights.

Each student needs to raise £1,495 for the chance to trek up the highest point in southern Norway and canoe down the river Otra. They will be camping throughout and will carry everything they need in rucksacks.

Some pupils raised £300 each and one pupil even raised £600 through the sponsored climb.

Geography teacher Simon Parry, who has been teaching at the school for seven years, said the expedition provided an opportunity for the youngsters to experience a remote area of the world.

He said: “This is an area they would not be able to go to without a big expedition.

“It’s really interesting to see how the students start off as a ramshackle crew and by the end of an expedition they are really supportive of each other, and they make lifelong friends.

“They started off really well, but towards the end their arms were really aching and their hands were burning and they were really tired. I’m really proud because they did a brilliant job.”