Mr Martin Harvey heads a law firm in Cork. He also acts as returning officer at elections and has presided over numerous marathon counts in the city. Before last Christmas, he says, his idea of exercise was to climb the stairs at home.
Then the Rehab organisation in Cork asked if he would care to organise a group to climb the highest free-standing mountain in the world, in other words, one not part of a range - Kiliman jaro in Tanzania. At 20,000 feet, it was a snip for a practised stairs climber.
He accepted the challenge, gathered about him five other volunteers, and eventually entered a training programme under Pat Falvey, whose memoir, Reach for the Skies, published recently, tells of his personal triumph in conquering the highest peaks on all the continents.
From stairs-climbing to tackling the Co Kerry mountain ranges was a bit of a jolt, but Martin Harvey and his group entered the training programme anyway, with 14 others who were planning to make the trip.
It takes true grit to tackle something when it's just you and it, be it a lengthy trek or a mountain. And even when you are in a group, the quest is still a personal one. There are private agonies.
This group, though, was an interesting one. The youngest climber was 16, the oldest 62. "They came in all shapes and sizes," Martin Harvey said. And most of them made it to the summit in the dark, wearing head torches. The climb would not have been feasible during the heat of the day. Those who didn't reach Uhuru Peak came within a short distance of it, so they can all be proud of the achievement. The effort was a brilliant one, and the funds raised will be of significant benefit to Rehab.
Martin Harvey alone raised more than £12,000. The group encountered summit temperatures 14 below freezing. At that temperature and altitude, litigious clients don't tend to seek consultations, and that's why the slow progress upwards was worth it. Here's the message - if you want to get away from it all climb a mountain.
But don't do it thinking that it's going to be easy. To spend 18 hours climbing and descending a large piece of rock in the dark of the African night takes guts and endurance. The returning officer came back, as did his group.
The 16-year-old was Jane Fawsitt, granddaughter of the late Judge Fawsitt of the Circuit Court in Cork. Her aunt, Alice Fawsitt, a barrister in the city, was part of the team too. It was a memorable achievement for charity and those who took part in it will remember it for ever.
Just returned, they are all a bit weary. Well done.