Maltese athletes James Camilleri, Christopher Vella conquer the Everest-height challenge

James Camilleri and Christopher Vella became the third and fourth Maltese cyclists to ever conquer the most coveted endurance climbing challenge of Everesting earlier this month.

Everesting is an activity that involves ascending and descending the same hill until the total elevation of Mount Everest (8,848 metres) is gained.

Rallied by a small but staunch group of family and friends, Camilleri and Vella’s expedition took over 22 hours, half of which were spent in almost complete darkness, as they looped San Martin Hill in Mġarr 83 times, covering 300 km along the way.

Both cyclists form part of Team Fabio, led by world-renowned triathlete Fabio Spiteri, who has undertaken multiple ultra events all over the world and constantly inspires his athletes to take on challenges that push the boundaries of human endurance.

“It’s such a pleasure witnessing athletes growing both physically and mentally,” Spiteri remarked at the close of the event.

First attempt

Camilleri, a triathlete, had his most successful sportive year so far in 2025, completing an Ironman in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain where he finished in a personal-best time of 10 hours and 47 minutes.

Two months later, he took part in a Double Ironman in Austria where he achieved a podium position for Malta.

“My first Everesting attempt was in Switzerland in 2022, however I didn’t

manage to complete it,” Camilleri said.

“Despite my disappointment, I took some important lessons from what happened and decided to try again.”

“Everesting is tough, long and somewhat tedious, but I’m so happy that I managed to accomplish it, rounding off the year with my third massive challenge.”

Vella started cycling recreationally in 2022, levelling up his training regimen in 2024. In 2025, he took part in a prestigious Gran Fondo cycling event in Switzerland in August and also competed in the first-ever Everesting championship in Sicily in September, where he took on the half-distance category.

“I became obsessed with the idea of Everesting shortly after I started cycling but it always seemed like a bit of a pipe dream,” Vella said.

“This year, I was hampered by a tough leg injury that put me out of action for some months. However, as soon as I was able to train again, I put this goal at the forefront and it just spurred me on even further.

“Being able to join the ranks of the elite athletes who have completed the Everesting challenge is nothing short of a dream come true.”