AN AMMAN Valley policeman and his pal have returned home after scaling one of Europe’s tallest peaks to raise funds for assault victim Paul Pugh.

Sergeant Carwyn Templeton, of Pontaman, and Steve Mackey, of Glanaman, climbed 4,810-metre Mont Blanc in the French Alps for former Cwmaman United captain Paul, who suffered brain injuries after being subjected to a brutal random street attack in January 2007.

Carwyn and Steve were two of only three members of their seven strong team to complete the ascent, with the rest falling by the wayside due to altitude sickness.

“It was a very arduous trek and definitely a lot more challenging than I anticipated,” said Carwyn, a former Amman United rugby player.

“Ultimately, it was the fact that I was raising money for Paul which gave me the incentive to reach the summit when I was struggling physically.

“The ascent and descent took three days and, although I suffered from the effects of the altitude – such as shortness of breath due to the lack of oxygen in the air as you increase altitude – I didn’t suffer from altitude sickness, which is something you simply cannot guard against.

“The main challenges we faced were other climbers, the challenge of carrying a roughly 12kg backpack and very little sleep.

“Since completing the trek, it has taken my body a full week to recover from all the muscle soreness, blisters, etc.”

Carwyn is yet to finalise the total amount raised, but he is hoping to break the £1,000 barrier to donate to Paul. “The sponsorship is still rolling in and I would like to take the opportunity to say that people can still donate at Café Celia, No 6 Café, Tesco customer service desk and Ammanford police station.

“I would also like to thank everyone who has sponsored me to help Paul.”

Tickets are also available to win a rugby ball signed by the 2012 Grand Slam winning side, donated by Shane Williams.