BANBURY-BASED charity, Dogs for the Disabled has received £1,350 in sponsorship money after local vet nurse, Trudie Granville walked the Inca Trail for the charity.

Trudie, a veterinary nurse for over ten years, lives in Middleton Cheney and works at the Croft Veterinary Centre in Brackley, has travelled extensively but this was the first trip she has done for charity. “I had wanted to travel the Inca Trail for years, I knew the trip would be a challenge and I thought raising money for charity may help my determination in the more difficult moments of the walk”, explained Trudie.

Arriving in Lima, Peru, Trudie’s trip lasted three weeks, the walk itself (about 33km) takes about four days across beautiful yet tough terrain of the Andes. “The walk was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, I got a real sense of satisfaction from completing it, especially as at times it was really hard going.

As much as you train for something like that, nothing can prepare you for the altitude - at times we were walking at 4,200m above sea level - which can make every step difficult to take”.

And although the nights were cold, Trudie said the views were spectacular: “You see so much more through walking the Trail than you would otherwise, the mountains were absolutely beautiful and on the third day we were walking through the most incredible forests, I’d recommend the trip to anyone”.

Trudie chose Dogs for the Disabled because of her strong links with the charity - Croft Veterinary Centre look after all the dogs at the Banbury centre.

She also knows many of the staff and dogs at the centre and had heard about other sponsored activities such as running the marathon or parachute jumps that had helped raise money for the charity.

The money raised will help train dogs at the centre to help disabled clients live a more independent life.