A PROLIFIC fundraiser is preparing to embark on his third overseas trek to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Nick Hodgson, of Addingham, sets off in early September for the trek to the Himalayas where he will scale Stok Kangri, which at 20,165 feet is one of the highest mountains which can be summited without the need for specialist climbing equipment.

The trek will take two weeks to allow participants to become slowly accustomed to the altitude and will go through remote mountain villages in the Ladakh region of India, high in the Himalayas.

The 52-year-old IT consultant is no stranger to such challenges having raised £15,000 over the last three years by taking part in a trek along the Great Wall of China in 2011 and walking the Inca Trail in Peru in 2013. However, he admits this latest trip could be the toughest yet.

"This trek to India is totally out of my comfort zone," he said. "The big challenge at that height will be the potential altitude mountain sickness (AMS). It can affect you at any time and is quite serious so the trek will ascend gently each day and then descend little bit each night to recover.

"We will be camping out in villages and on the mountainside – definitely no creature comforts for two weeks!"

Nick has already funded the trip and raised about £5,000 for Macmillan so far but is aiming for more and - with the help of Ilkley printing company, DottyPrint - he has come up with a novel way of giving all his sponsors recognition for their generosity.

"Anyone who sponsor me will be there with me as DottyPrint have kindly agreed to print a banner with the names of all the sponsors which I will take to the summit with me!," said Nick, who added: "I am doing this to raise funds for the fantastic work that Macmillan do to help those affected by cancer.

"Please visit my justgiving page (and don’t forget the gift aid if you can) justgiving.com/Nicholas-Hodgson-Stok"