Two women from Peel have returned from a high-altitude "trip of a lifetime" - a charity trek to the ancient Incan kingdom of Macchu Picchu.
Lindsay Quayle (left) and Glenda Cain were amongst a party of 34 who completed the expedition last month to raise £50,000 for The Children's Centre (formerly the Isle of Man Children's Centre).
After months of preparation and fundraising initiatives, the group set off on 6th November for an adventure which would take them across some of the world's most stunning mountain ranges to Macchu Picchu, the 15th Century Incan city.
Not only had Lindsay, who works for Harmony Homes in Peel, never undertaken such a challenge before, she was, at 60, the oldest member of the group.
She describes it as "the most stunning, challenging, amazing trip of my whole life" but admits that it was gruelling in places:
"For some of us, the trek was really tough the first couple of days as we got higher and higher into the mountains, although there was a lead bunch who seemed to just stride on with no bother. The climb to Dead Woman's Pass on the second day was the most difficult at nearly 14,000 feet.
"I will never forget the encouragement shouted down from the 'early arrivals' to those of us struggling, it was brilliant, however, once I got over that, and it was downhill all the way, I really started to enjoy myself."
Glenda, who runs Bliss beauty salon in Peel, agrees with Lindsay that Dead Woman's Pass - a plateau so named by locals because it resembles the form of a woman lying down - was the toughest section of the trek. "I was quite lucky with the altitude", she says, "although I did get headaches and nosebleeds."
Upon reaching Macchu Picchu itself, the two women had slightly different reactions. Glenda says, "Well, it was was almost an anti-climax, really, after the experiences we'd been through up to that point, and I thought, 'oh no, not more steps!'
"Also, you imagine it as deserted, and it's not - there were masses of other tourists there who'd taken the bus up!"
The site made more of an impression, however, on Lindsay: "Reaching Macchu Picchu itself was truly emotional for me and I will never forget my first sight of it from the Sun Gate. As we got nearer, it became more and more stunning and it is huge; much bigger than it seems in any pictures."
Lindsay also has nothing but praise for the local porters, who set up camp and prepared meals for the group at every step, even managing to procure jelly for dessert on one occasion, and share their coca tea, which helps with altitude sickness.
Both Glenda and Lindsay describe the team spirit and sense of camaraderie throughout the trip as especially strong, with many members of the party continuing to meet and share their memories back home on the Island.
Best of all, the trekkers' spirit of adventure has achieved the ultimate goal of the trip, as the fundraising target of £50,000 has been comfortably reached.
