**Update**

** I've just heard that the Machu Picchu trek has been cancelled due to there not being enough uptake, so I have transferred to another trek of similar difficulty. The new trek will be based around Dharamshala in India, and take me trekking around the Himalayas. I'll be trekking for around 7 hours a day across difficult and steep terrain. You can read the itinerary here: http://www.charitychallenge.com/pdf/D_L_Itinerary.pdf **

Thanks for your interest in Gem's little jaunt up Machu Picchu!

My chosen charity is the RSPCA - an organisation that has meant a lot to me since I was 5 (yep, 22 years ago now!) - when I joined the Animal Action Club and wrote them a very demanding letter asking them to save ALL the animals in the world! It's very difficult to imagine the world without the RSPCA in it - quite simply, the animal welfare in England and Wales (and arguably, worldwide) wouldn't be what it is now if the RSPCA hadn't started doing their thing nearly two hundred years ago. They've done so much to shape attitudes, improve animal welfare legislation and help on the front line of animal cruelty, it's impossible not to respect and admire their achievements. And without the support and donations of the public none of this could have happened!

This trip is a big "thank you" to the RSPCA for all they've done for the millions of animals that need them - and for the impact they have had on my life. I hope to raise a hefty wodge of cash for you to help further your work :-)

So, the trek itself... on arriving, and after a bit of acclimatisation to the altitude (hey, its elevation is 3.5km!) I will take part in two days of community project work in the Cusco/Sacred Valley area, before embarking on the four day trek up to Machu Picchu. I'll be on the Salkantay Route, travelling through the land of the ancient Incas, crossing passes up to 4.6km high through the Andes mountains - and onwards and upwards to Machu Picchu itself!

To keep up with the latest in my fundraising and training efforts, "like" my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gems-Jaunt/206898319378004

Or keep an eye on my blog: http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/social/blogs/machupicchu

Thanks so much for visiting my page - double thanks if you donated! My target is a daunting £3,500* so every little counts - even if you can only afford £1! And if you've got a moment, I'd be eternally grateful to anyone who shares this page on Facebook, Twitter or by email. :-)

*£1,725 of all money raised will go towards tour costs