Inca challenge was worth it for friends

Kate Cliffe and Emma Langan raised £7,000 for Breast Cancer Care in memory of Jane Dobie, an “inspirational” community worker who died of the disease a year ago aged only 32.

Walking with a group including some breast cancer survivors, the pair trekked though desert, mountains and rainforest on their way to the city, high in the Andes.

Often camping in freezing conditions, they encountered rain, hail and driving winds, while altitude sickness sometimes limited the group to a few hours’ walking in a day.

On the final day the trekkers walked for eight hours up the Inca trail to reach the Sacred Valley, before seeing the city.

Kate, 32, said: “It was beautiful. You could hear hummingbirds, the rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared. When we got to the top we came out through the sun gate and the whole group was in tears.

“It was incredibly emotional. We had been working towards this for a year, since the weeks after Jane died.

“It felt like a true privilege to be there and to be there in the name of our friend.”

Emma, 32, a case worker at Warwickshire County Council, said: “Our trek across the Lares Valley and up the Inca trail to Macchu Picchu was an experience I will remember for years to come.

“Although hard going and painful at times, the emotions the trip evoked, the people I met along the way and the breathtaking scenery negated the physical difficulties and exhaustion.

“The support our family, friends and community gave to help us raise funds for Breast Cancer Care was inspiring and touching. I look forward to embarking on another charity challenge in the next few years.”

The pair thanked everyone who had sponsored them, and Kate urged women to have themselves screened and everyone to attempt a fundraising activity.

She added: “Jane raised millions of pounds in her lifetime. We can all give a little bit of our time.”