SPECTACULAR scenery made all the hardships faced by 20-year-old Emma Holmes while she walked the Inca Trail in Peru fade into insignificance.

Emma, of Holcombe Drive, Rawtenstall, works in the corporate services department of Burnley Health Care NHS Trust.

She accepted the challenge to walk the Inca Trail to the 'lost city' of Machu Picchu and raise £2,500 for the Children's Hospitals Appeal and although she still needs to raise £1,200 she is hoping to complete fund-raisers by March.

Emma said: "It was brilliant, but it was also exhausting and while we were there we were all absolutely shattered because of the altitude.

"The scenery is amazing and it was really nice to meet loads of new people and everyone got on."

There were 47 people who completed the trek with ages ranging from 19 to 71. At 20 Emma was the second youngest person to take part in the walk.

She said: "It didn't matter how old you were or how fit you were everyone struggled at some stage, although some of the people older than me raced up some stages!"

The walkers completed ten miles a day, but most of that was climbing at an altitude of 4,200m above sea level.

Emma said: "The climbing was hard, but going down hill was even worse because it hurt your knees!

"The weather was a bit unpredictable and when you had clear skies during the day it was warm but when it was freezing when it clouded over and during the night.

"I would wear my thermals, jumpers, hat and gloves and be inside my sleeping bag but it was still very cold."

Asked what she missed most, she admitted: "My bed!"

Emma said her parents were very proud of her and sister Claire, a pupil at Towneley High School, where Emma attended, had been keen to find out all the details of her trip.

She said: "It certainly was a trip of a lifetime and yes, I would probably consider doing another in the future but I will have a break for a bit.

"The hardest part was definitely raising the money."

Emma would like to say a big thank-you to everyone who helped her fund-raising efforts including Towneley High School, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Webberly Print Limited, Gaz's camping and her 'Saturday' employer Robert Anthony's in Barrowford.