AN ADVENTURER is set to cross one of the world's most famous deserts by camel to raise £100,000 for charity.

University graduate Stephen McCutcheon, 26, of Edgworth, came up with the idea of completing a 10,000km journey from India to China while working as a teacher in Nepal three years ago.

He wanted to raise cash for ActionAid International, a charity working in India, Pakistan and China, to support educational projects in each country and enable poor children to continue in education.

Stephen, who has set up a website to publicise his challenge, has already travelled by horse from New Delhi through Pakistan and into China.

He began his Riding for Education (R4E) journey on November 5, 2004, and next month he will start the next leg of his journey across North China, the Gobi Desert and to the end of the Great Wall of China.

He is hoping to complete this leg which will end his challenge by early spring 2007.

Stephen, who did not know how to ride a horse until he arrived in India, said: "Everyone dreams of doing something like this and no-one has ever done this route before which surprises me.

"I got a job teaching English in the remote mountains of far Northern Nepal for eight months and it was this which prompted me to help raise awareness of education and to try to raise money to improve education in these countries.

"Students often lived and worked in their school clothes, as they were the only clothes they had.

"The village had a bad reputation so regular paid Government teachers never showed up for work.

"Students were often needed to work at home, particularly during the rice harvest, so many never realised the education they deserved."

Stephen has bought and sold horses along the route and visited many schools along the way.

He said: "It is just fantastic travelling on horseback and feeling like a pilgrim might have felt years ago.

"There's something special about the wild nature of horses and the special relationship they have with man.

"They inspire thoughts of freedom and independence, endurance and defiance and the only way to really experience all this was to ride across Asia.

"It's a complete experience to adapt to that situation. I will be travelling across the desert on a camel.

"I have had film crews with me through Pakistan and India who have created a TV documentary highlighting the educational needs of the countries."

His journey was filmed by 25th Frame Productions through India and Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) through Pakistan.

During his journey so far, Stephen has had encounters with wandering nomad tribes, snake charmers, a monkey village, as well as a stay at the Hindu pilgrimage centre of Kurukshetra and in the Sikh city of Amritsar.

Stephen regularly updates his website www.r4e.org from internet cafes and a satellite phone.

Anyone wanting to sponsor him can email him on steve@r4e.org.