A WEST Fife gran enjoyed the challenge of her life and raised £1,500 by completing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Sandra Thomson took part in a four-day trek in the Peruvian Andes which was organised by the charity Finding Your Feet, set up to assist people who have lost limbs through sepsis.
She told Cowdenbeath Rotary Club that she gathered enthusiasm for hillwalking through tackling the Munros - completing more than 260 of the 282 - and when the chance came to walk the Inca Trail she couldn't turn it down.
The former Dunfermline Press executive secretary was inspired to take on the task after hearing about local woman Marguerite Henderson, who lost her legs and hands to sepsis several years ago.
Sandra, who is 'in her 70s', told club members: “Finding Your Feet was set up by Cor Hutton in 2014 after she lost her hands and legs below the knee to sepsis.
“Recognising a need for peer support within the amputee community, she started a small group which has grown to a network of over 1,200 people in just 10 years.
"Cor leads by example - she has completed the London Triathlon and was the first female quadruple amputee to climb Ben Nevis and Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Finding Your Feet has a strong impact on the community because of a positive and encouraging outlook, which stems from and mirrors Cor’s attitude.
“They run clubs around Glasgow, Paisley, Lanarkshire, Dundee, Edinburgh, Ayrshire, Fife, Aberdeen, Inverness and Dumfries.”
She continued: “In the summer of 2024 I got the chance to join Finding Your Feet's planned attack on the historic Inca Trail.
“While it was our summer, the adventure started as autumn was breaking out in Peru, but the conditions for day one were perfect with a temperature of 22C. We had 28 people start the trek, many with prosthetic limbs.
“The paths were solidly constructed, but not easy and the team of porters we had helped us all complete what was a 3,600 feet climb.
"Day two saw the famous Dead Woman's pass - the highest, most challenging point of the trail - which is a 13,799 feet elevation and it winds its way through forest terrain and after hours of hiking, eventually reaches the small village of Llulluchapampa.”
The trek included 3am and 4am starts and Sandra explained that some of the starting party had gone as far as they could on the tough landscape and were escorted to safety while she and several others were able to continue.
Along the way she spotted an Andean condor, humming birds, lots of llamas and alpacas and the "occasional large hairy spider!".
Day three covered about 10 miles and traversed two small passes but she explained that each stretch had some truly dramatic scenery.
Day four saw the trail from Winay Huayna, running through a cloud-forested contour path followed by a steep flight of around 50 steps.
Sandra added: “At the top of the staircase, you were presented with an unforgettable view as the famous Inca site of Machu Picchu is revealed through the Sun Gate, really stunning.
“It was something to experience and never be forgotten.”
The challenge whetted Sandra's appetite for more foreign adventures and she plans to visit Vietnam and Cambodia this year.
Sandra thanked everyone who helped her raise £1,500 of the £70,000 raised by Cor Hutton and the people who took part in the Finding Your Feet challenge.
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