Carrauntoohil in County Kerry stands at 1039m (3414 ft) and is the highest point in Ireland. It is also home to the infamous ‘Devil’s Ladder’ – an uncomfortably steep gully that has prompted the most rescue attempts out of any area on the mountain. Undeterred and eager to meet the challenge, a team from Winterthur, based in Basingstoke, completed the epic 12km round journey in just seven hours.

This is the second time that the South West sales team has taken to the slopes for the Hampshire children’s hospice Naomi House; in 2006 they climbed Ben Nevis in Scotland, raising £11,200 for the Winchester-based charity, which relies on donations to maintain its palliative care for children and their families.

The two sponsored events together have generated over £22,000, which goes a long way towards the running of the hospice; it could pay for maintaining the hydrotherapy suite for seven months, running the multi-sensory room for 17 weeks or a respite care bedroom for 41 days.

Second time expedition leader and Winterthur Divisional Sales Manager Jon Haslam said:

The Carrauntoohil experience was even more intense than Ben Nevis, and the team worked incredibly hard. The sense of purpose that comes from supporting a cause such as Naomi House kept us all focused, even across Devil’s Ladder. Everyone involved is feeling extremely proud of themselves, and rightly so. We have already decided on next year’s challenge but we’re keeping that under wraps for now.

Naomi House’s Corporate Fundraiser Jill Livingstone is delighted with the donation:

Everyone at Naomi House would like to say a huge thank you to Jon Haslam and his team for their tremendous efforts. Many thanks also to all who supported them. All members of the team should be justifiably proud of this incredible achievement; both conquering the mountain and raising an amazing amount of money! It is support like this that enables us to provide crucial care services, free of charge, to children and their families at a time when they need it most.