A forty year old Irishman will enjoy his Christmas dinner at the top of one of the worlds highest mountains this year.
While his wife Debra and the rest of his family tuck into the turkey and ham back home in Ballnabranna, close to Carlow town, Oliver Towey will be dining some 19,000 feet above sea level at the top of Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the sixth highest peak in the world.
He's scaling the heights to raise money for a homeless charity and admits the distance between him and his loved ones on a special day will be tough to cope with.
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"When they are all gathered round the table opening presents I will be at the top of Kilimanjaro opening a lunch box that Debra will have pre packed before I leave, I am sure it will be lonely and emotional but the Christmas holidays was the only time I could organise around work that allowed me to do it.
"Mind you I'll have a far more scenic view when I am feeding myself than they will as I believe the view from up there is awesome, I am also told there will be snow on the top of it at that time of year so I will have a white Christmas."
Oliver does have some idea what he's facing into as he has previously climbed to base camp on Mt Everest but admits this is on a different level.
"It takes seven days to climb up and three more to come back down, the thing is when you go up five thousand feet you stay there for a short while then come back down a thousand feet to adapt to the altitude so every time you go up a certain distance you have to descend again.
"Coming back down is much easier and faster.
"I am training hard at the moment doing a lot of hill walking, running and boxing, I'll be in shape but I know it is going to be tough.
"I hope to raise €10,000 for the DePaul group which is a homeless charity as the homelessness situation here is beyond a joke.
"I've told the missus to put some of the Christmas dinner by for me and I'll have it on New Years Eve."
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