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A team of six climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Ayrshire Hospice as the Hospice marks its tenth year of once-in-a-lifetime treks.

One brave participant was Stuart Paterson, 40, a solicitor from Ayr. He was helped in his fundraising efforts by six year old daughter, Lottie.

Stuart said: “The experience was incredible but there weren’t any easy bits! The closer you got to the top the more the lack of oxygen got pretty evident. Things became a bit other-worldly, like an out of body experience.

“You couldn’t hang around for too long. You just got your photos then started to get back down to lower altitudes. I think because you hear people doing Kilimanjaro, you tend to think it’s more straightforward than it is, but it’s challenging.”

Stuart’s grandmother died in the hospice in 2004 and so he has set out on various treks over the years to raise money for the cause so close to his heart.

“My grandmother was very well cared for and they looked after us as a family as well so ever since then I’ve tried to do bits here and there. The staff at the hospice are exceptional. I did the Great Wall of China with one of the nurses that looked after my gran.

Graeme Strawhorn, assistant fundraising manager at the hospice, said: “I did Kilimanjaro in 2010 and it was the toughest thing I’ve ever done but the most memorable experience. It’s tough going with the altitude especially, that’s the big thing, how your body adapts to it.

“We’re doing three overseas treks this year so we’ve Kilimanjaro and the Arctic trek and then we’ve got a group of six trekking the Sahara Desert in October – hopefully they get to do that.”

Since 2009, the hospice has raised £289,868 from its overseas treks projects. The recent treks to the Arctic and Kilimanjaro have raised almost £20K collectively.

Graeme said: “We’re absolutely thrilled.

“It costs around £22,000 to provide Hospice Services so that really put it into perspective.

“These guys have completed an amazing task and raised an amazing amount to help our patients and their families.”