Marty Cross and Dan Owen hope to conquer seven peaks – Mount Hotham, Mount Buffalo, Mount Buller, Lake Mountain, Mount Baw Baw, Dinner Plain and Falls Creek – in seven days from Sunday. The goal expands on a fundraising ride Mr Cross completed in 2016.

“This year we decided we’d up the ante a bit and instead of driving the car in between each mountain we’ll ride the whole distance,” he said.

“It’s roughly around about 1250 kilometres, give or take a couple. It’s pretty hard to work out the elevation but just the mountains themselves is over 8000 metres, plus you’ve got all the elevation in between.”

The 7 Peaks 7 Days Cycle Challenge aims to raise $10,000 for New Life Chapel’s support programs, which last year helped people with school expenses, medical and post-operative costs, emergency and crisis assistance and accommodation.

Mr Cross, a pastor at New Life Chapel, said he saw many families in need through his role and tried to think of ways he could help.

“The bike ride’s the vehicle to inspire people to come on board,” he said. “Just put it out there and bring a bit of attention to what families in our community, all different circumstances, need a bit of a leg-up; this is just one way we can do that.”

The ride begins and ends at Harrietville, tackling two mountains on day one and then mostly one each day except when completing the 180km ride between Mount Baw Baw and Bairnsdale.

Mr Cross said their training began in September, involving “lots of kilometres, lots of time on the bike”.

“We’re feeling good, feeling confident that we can actually complete the journey,” he said. “That’s the question everyone asks, ‘Can you do it?’. Having never done it, obviously it’s a bit of an unknown.”