Three-legged climbers scale uk's tallest skyscraper

By John Hill on April 7, 2008 4:29 PM |

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HOW long does it take to scale the UK’s tallest building with your ankle tied to a friend?

It might be hard for deskbound Wharfers to believe, but you can conquer One Canada Square in less than 15 minutes.

Fitness fanatics Heather Derbyshire and Karen Fingerhut kicked off a globe-trotting endurance challenge by completing a three-legged climb of the tower’s 54-flight fire escape on Sunday (April 6).

They scaled the 1,188 stairs in just 14 minutes and 34.69 seconds, setting a completely new world record in the process.

Stockport fitness instructor Heather said: “We’re really pleased with the time. I thought it would take us at least 40 minutes to an hour.
“We tried to get a rhythm going and keep it steady like a metronome. But the hardest part is doing the 180 degree turns when you’re tied to someone.”

Heather and Karen made short work of the winding staircase under the eye of official timers. But their first attempt saw them take an unexpected detour into Canada Square mall downstairs.

Karen said: “One of the doors had been accidentally locked, so we just assumed we had to follow the green arrows and ended up wandering into the underground shopping mall with our helmets on and our legs strapped together.
“We got some extremely odd looks.”

The pair will now return to the north-west to spearhead a record-breaking mass three-legged race on Sunday (April 13) in Stockport.

They will then test their fitness in a gruelling eight-month trek which will see them walk 500 miles over the French Pyrenees, hike up to Machu Picchu in Peru, compete in an Olympic distance triathlon in Australia and brave a 260-mile bike ride along the coastline of Thailand.

They hope to raise £44,000 for Wish Upon a Star, which grants wishes to children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. To donate money or read blog updates from the trip, go to the girls’ website at www.2fitbirds.com.

Karen said: “It’s going to be eight months of living out of a rucksack. But we’re really privileged to be able to do something like this.
“I’m still going to be bringing my straighteners along, though.”