PUPILS from Bury Grammar School donned their hiking gear to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime trip to southern Peru.

The 14 girls spent a month during the summer exploring the sights of the ancient country as part of a World Challenge Expedition.

Students had spent two years raising more than £3,000 each to fund the trip. Joining them were teachers Mr John Wilkinson and Mrs Pat Pearson, along with MVO World Challenge Expedition leader, Richard Tasran.

The group's first stop was a visit to the mysterious drawings of the Nasca Lines which covers 400 square miles of the Pampa desert.

The ancient markings are believed to have been created more than 1,500 years ago and are only visible from the air.

Next on the agenda was a tour around the second largest lake in South America, Lake Titicaca, and exploring the Uros Floating Islands, before the group moved on to Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world.

There, the girls, aged 17 and 18, spent time at St Juan School teaching, organising a sports day and painting the outside of the school.

They then completed a seven-day trek through the high Andes, camping and being self-sufficient, which several of the girls used to gain a Duke of Edinburgh gold award.

The group followed this with a visit to Machu Picchu, the lost Inca City, and travelling through the Amazon Jungle spending a number of days exploring, fishing and camping on a sandbank.

The final stages of the month-long expedition included exploring the Inca capital Cusco, where they tested their white water rafting skills, before ending their trip with a tour around the Lima, capital of Peru. There they took in the architecture and did some essential last minute shopping for home.

Pupil Sarah Thorndyke (17) said: "It was the most amazing experience of my life, full of so much love and laughter shared with the most amazing friends ever."

Fellow explorer Stephanie King added: "It was a truly amazing expedition which created many memories which will stay in my heart for ever."