A RAMSBOTTOM businessman will cycle through Italy – for Bury Hospice.

Julian Ferrier, aged 48, will take on the beautiful but brutally steep Dolomites, cycling approximately 600 miles in a loop from Verona to Venice.

Mr Ferrier, director of Pearson Ferrier estate agents, said: “I am looking forward to it, I am very excited but it is going to be a monumental challenge.

“Anyone that I meet from the hospice just has a great way about them.

“Bury Hospice is a beacon for Bury and many people seek their help and are comforted by them.”

Mr Ferrier is also raising money for Bolton Lads and Girls Club.

The team will set off as soon as they land at Verona airport on Saturday, and will take on 73,000ft of elevation in total, including a 20,000ft climb on Wednesday. The whole trip will last seven days.

Some of the route was used for the 100th Giro D’Italia, the Italian equivalent of the Tour de France.

Mr Ferrier’s first mountain trip came in a similar group expedition in 2015 when he cycled through the Alps from Geneva to Nice.

“For someone who is scared of heights it is quite an experience, with some of the climbs being in excess of 30km in length,” he said.

“Going up wasn’t too bad but the views on the descents at times could be a little hairy. The climbing in The Dolomites is going to be slightly shorter and tougher and from what I am told by our mentors, at times brutal.”

Mr Ferrier said he and his colleagues have been training non-stop, heading out on black and wintry evenings and getting up in the early hours to complete longer weekend training rides. “This is most definitely a challenge for me and I am proud yet again to raise money for Bury Hospice and Bolton Lads and Girls Club,” he added. Mr Ferrier will also be riding in memory of friend Jonathan Lee who was killed cycling home from work. To sponsor Julian, visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/JulianFerrier2