AN incredible journey from Halwill Junction to Machu Picchu, in the name of charity, has recently been completed by one intrepid explorer. Kirsty Sheehan, a former student of Okehampton College who now lives in Halwill Junction, returned last month from her charity trek in Peru to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. The remarkable journey saw Kirsty embark upon the Inca Trail on a four-day trek with a group of 26 people from across the UK. The trek took the group up to an altitude higher than 4,000m above sea level, through the bamboo forests of Peru, into the Andes and, finally, to the spectacular lost city of the Incas — Machu Picchu. Kirsty said: 'It was such an experience and definitely hard work, walking at altitude really knocks you for six! 'When we were camping in the Andes, the temperature at night would drop below freezing, while during the day it would rise to around 23 degrees. 'Many of us suffered the effects of altitude with headaches, sickness and dizziness. We were advised to keep drinking the local coca tea to help with the effects. After days of long, hard trekking, Kirsty eventually made it to Machu Picchu, the Sun Temple, just in time to see the new day breaking over the ancient city. She managed to raise more than £3,000 for the British Heart Foundation with the total amount raised by the group topping £80,000. Kirsty expressed thanks to everyone who sponsored her, helped with her training and all the different fundraising events. She added: 'I had such an amazing time and I will never forget the experience. 'I made some fantastic friends and will be meeting them all again for a British Heart Foundation reunion later in the year in London.'
