There is no mountain high enough to stop three Inverurie businessmen raising money to support local charity North East Sensory Services (NESS).
The men, who leave for Tanzania on May 31 will tackle Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa sitting at 19,341 ft. above sea level.
Allan Rae, the land director for house builder Kirkwood Homes will be joined by retail and commercial developer and entrepreneur, Graeme Hay and painting contractor Alan Lyon on the trek.
Neil Skene, fundraising coordinator for Ness- who is blind – will also join the men, adding another dimension to the challenge as they look to support Neil on the climb.
Mr Rae said: “The climb should take us around six to seven days and our goal is to get Neil and ourselves to the top of Kilimanjaro and back again, and by doing so raise as much support and awareness as possible for the work Nessdoes. It is a true challenge for us, as many have tried and failed to conquer the mountain.”
Facing the unpredictable conditions of the climb, combined with the stunning scenery and high altitude will be a truly breath-taking experience for the men, who have been training hard with the Garioch Kettlebells Club at Garioch Sports Centre where Mr Rae is head instructor (as well as the UK and Scottish Kettlebell Pentathlon champion).
Mr Skene, along with other members of the group has regularly taken part in 10K runs in preparation for the event, and has previously made it to Everest base camp and the High Atlas mountains in Morocco.
He added: “I have always wanted to climb Kilimanjaro and now I can attempt it with the help of these three amazing men assisting me in this challenge.
“I will be reliant on them lending a guiding arm – or three. Hopefully this challenge will also inspire other people that Ness works to support.”
Ness provides a wide range of services to improve the lives of blind and deaf people in the region. The charity works with more than 3,500 people with sensory impairment in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
The group has set itself an initial target of £10,000 which they are already on their way to achieving thanks to the help of local companies including Kirkwood Homes, William Lippe Architects and GPH Builders Merchants and individuals.
A fundraising page has been set up on Just Giving and anyone who wants to help the group should visit www.justgiving.com/Allan-Rae2