West Ham United supporters have the unique opportunity to join Club legend Julian Dicks and Olympic champion rower Mark Hunter on an epic charity trek to Machu Picchu in May 2015.
In aid of the Hammers' Community Sports Trust, West Ham have teamed up with Charity Challenge to offer a ten-day spectacular in the Peruvian Andes, from Friday 29 May until Sunday 7 June.
Dicks and Hunter are to lead the West Ham charge but are now on the search for many a fellow Hammer to join them. So, here is what you can look forward to:
• Explore the Inca capital of Cusco
• Hike in the Peruvian Andes
• Alternative, uncrowded route in the Lares Valley
• Reach the lost city of Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate
• Optional white water rafting or Lake Titicaca extension
Mark Hunter won silver in the lighweight double sculls at London 2012
Your first taste of the Inca world will be in and around the city of Cusco, the ancient Inca capital. After acclimatising to the high altitude by visiting local Inca ruins and Spanish Colonial churches, you will head towards the remote and rarely visited Lares Valley.
This unique alternative to the extremely busy Inca Trail is far off the beaten track and you will see diverse and spectacular scenery as you glimpse a way of Peruvian life that has remained untouched for centuries. As you walk through these stunning valleys you will meet Andean farmers dressed in their traditional brightly coloured ponchos tending herds of Llamas and Alpacas. You will get to meet the local communities and visit a local school supported by Charity Challenge.
The region is also home to the Banos Del Inca, probably the best hot springs in southern Peru. Situated at an altitude of 2,667m, the springs offer spectacular views of snowy peaks and glaciers such as Mounts Veronica, Chicon and Pumahaunca. As you continue along your route, you will also take in the dazzling sight of glacial blue lakes.
You will eventually have some time to explore the ruins at Machu Picchu, the 'lost City of the Incas'. These breathtaking pre Columbian ruins are nestled high in the Andes between two peaks. The ruins were rediscovered in 1911 by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham and are one of the most beautiful and enigmatic ancient sites in the world.
You can read a testimonial from a previous Machu Picchu trekker here, or check out this Machu Picchu photo gallery.