When Catherine Redgate approached us to sponsor her for a trip of a lifetime during her gap year, we were delighted to help out.

INCA TRAIL TREK, PERU

The Highland Hospice is a very valued charity here in the far north of Scotland, and when I saw their advertised treks I decided to go for it and begin my dream of travelling the world! My gap year provided me a great opportunity to work hard and raise the £2500 target to then successfully complete my challenge in September 2005.

Alongside 50 other people from throughout the UK, I trekked the Inca Trail in 4 days, with 6 o’clock starts every morning to get us on our way. Each day brought picturesque views, and with every step I wanted to take another photograph! The landscape was absolutely fantastic and the heat was unbelievable, even at 8am in the morning. With only one heavy shower of rain on the second day we trekked the ups and downs of the Andes; over mountain passes to jungles, through tunnels in the rocks to rainforests, all covering a total of 26 miles of Inca trail. The distance wasn’t the challenge however, it was the height. On reaching Dead Woman’s Pass however, at a high altitude of 4200m, we all knew we would make it from there on in. It was literally a one step at a time job though, even on the next downhill section of the way – but again, the views, and the company of some really wonderful people I met, made it all worth while!

Macchu Picchu, our destination, was reached in the blistering heat at 11am on the 28^th September. Tears, group photos and an afternoon of exploring the world renowned archaeological site ended the trail with a very satisfied feeling.

Well worth it I’d say!

Catherine Redgate