Are you climbing Mauao today? Keep an eye out for Matt du Plessis.

The 39-year-old is wearing an orange top with black side panels, black shorts, a green cap and has two walking sticks. You’ll find him either going up or walking down ...and going up…and going down.

As dawn broke over Mount Maunganui, his determined figure embarked on an extraordinary feat today, aiming to conquer Mauao 38 times within a gruelling 24-hour window.

Marking his endeavour as part of the 2024 The Breeze Mount Everest Challenge, which doesn't start until February 12, this intrepid climber commenced his ascent at 4.15am, with the ambitious goal of completing the equivalent elevation gain of the world's tallest peak in a single day.

With 15 ascents already under his belt within the initial eight hours by 12.15pm, each trek up the 232-metre Mauao serves a dual purpose: to test his physical limits, while also raising vital awareness and ultimately funds for three local surf clubs.

Matt du Plessis is attempting to climb Mauao 38 times in 24 hours today.  Photo: Supplied.

Matt is a local business owner working in construction. His wife Sian says he has had a health journey since starting his business, and so got into doing ultra-marathons and running.

“He’d heard about the Tarawera Ultramarathon, and without much training he thought he’d give 100km a go,” says Sian.

“He did that one last year in February and this year signed up for the 160km, also called the TMiler.”

The TMiler is being held on February 17, 2024.

“One of our shareholders in a meeting the other day asked him if he’s doing the Mount Everest Challenge, and told him it starts in February.

“Matt said ‘well I can’t promise to do much over February because of the TMiler’. But he thought it was a good cause, lives in Papamoa and wanted to raise funds for Papamoa Surf Lifesaving club and asked if anyone had done it in 24 hours.”

The Breeze Mount Everest Challenge - 'Climb for Life'

This year funds raised through the Breeze Mount Everest Challenge will be going to the three local surf lifesaving clubs based at Omanu, Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa.

Although Matt is doing the climbs as an individual, Tauranga’s 95.8 The Breeze is also encouraging people to do the challenge as a team, taking the pressure off individuals trying to reach the goal.

“Clubs, groups, families, workforce teams – spread the 38 climbs across members of the team. And there’s no limit to the team size,” says The Breeze Tauranga Breakfast host Jolene James.

Fellow local Breeze breakfast host Max Baird says the slogan for this year is "climb for life" and that's literally what the surf clubs do.

Over the past 10 years, The Mount Everest Challenge has raised more than $600,000 for local charities. Last year, The Breeze delivered a cheque for $80,441 to Live for More.

The feel-good challenge is not only an opportunity to bust the record of the $95,000 raised for surf clubs in 2015, but also the top amount ever, which was $120,000 raised in 2018 for Waipuna Hospice.

In 2018, Mount Maunganui woman Andrea Gifford  completed the challenge in under 22 hours although she ended up with stress fractures in one of her feet. In 2023, Tauranga man Dave White, 57, climbed Mauao 200 times in 50 days, which is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest over five times.

Matt has set up at the base of Mauao, at the wooden stairs behind the Mount Maunganui camping ground. Photo: Supplied.

Sian says Matt is recording everything today on a Go-Pro in order to make a fundraising video.

“One of our friends who is a videographer will put something together for Givealittle and then he’ll raise funds from that.”

Matt has set up at the base of Mauao, at the wooden stairs behind the Mount Maunganui camping ground, with some local campers looking after his gear while he completes each climb.

Although home with their children for much of the day, Sian has joined him on one of the climbs, and says other people have also joined him for one or two climbs to encourage him.

At the eight-hour mark, by 12.15pm, Matt had completed 15 climbs. By 1pm it was 16, and by 1.45pm he’d finished 17 climbs.

“His goal is to do it under 24 hours,” says Sian.

She says there will be some people joining him during the afternoon and into the evening, and invites anyone else who wants to encourage him on a climb to go meet and climb with him as he nears his target.

Sian says they are registering on The Breeze’s Mount Everest Challenge page, and will be opening up a Givealittle to raise funds through the video that Matt will be making.

The challenge will run from February 12 to Easter Monday, and teams can register at: thebreeze.co.nz or follow The Mount Everest Challenge Facebook page