Height of bravery...

Mike, fund-raising manager of the Echo-backed Domino Appeal, organised the trek to raise funds for the country's first purpose-built school for children with autism.

Ten other people joined him for the journey of a lifetime when near-tragedy struck Mike 5,000 metres above sea level in the Andes.

He was diagnosed with severe altitude sickness and was told to give up the trek or face life-threatening consequences.

But instead of abandoning the journey he strove so hard to bring together, Mike took on another adventure which would see him walk two-and-a-half times more the distance than the rest of his group - with just one guide, a few bananas and some chocolate to accompany him.

Mike recalled: "We flew to Lima, via Amsterdam, and arrived late on Saturday. Sunday morning we went to Cuzco, provincial city high up in the Andes, just over 3,000 metres of sea level and just chilled out and got used to being at altitude.

"It does immediately hit you. You find you are catching your breath just doing everyday things like taking a shower.

"One or two of the group had headaches but our 11-strong party seemed to get used to it very, very quickly.

"On the Monday we went on an acclimatisation trip to some ruins above Cuzco. It got us used to walking with back packs in the heat and at altitude and most of us came through it really well.

"We set off the next morning by coach and went to a spot known as Sacred Valley and Kilometre 82 where the Inca Trail officially starts and we set off at 10am."

All went well on the first day of the walk, although they had to contend with experiencing four seasons of weather in a matter of hours, but all came through unscathed.

"It was a fascinating introduction to the Andes. Many times we were actually looking down on the clouds, everybody was captivated by the sheer vastness of the Andes and the scenery," Mike remembered.

"We woke up knowing the second of our four days was going to be the most difficult. We would be climbing upwards all through the day, from 3,000m to just over 5,000m above sea level.

"During the latter part of the morning I started to experience some difficulties. I was getting headaches, I started to feel nauseous and my legs were heavy.

"The tour guides and the doctor were getting very concerned about me and said I was showing signs of serious altitude sickness, and when it comes on this late and not immediately when you arrive in altitude, it has potentially life-threatening consequences.

"We stopped for lunch because I was really struggling. After eating something I felt significantly better but then they dropped the bombshell.

"I was told by the doctor that I was suffering from serious altitude sickness and they were going to have to send me back down. I came close to having my first tantrum since I was 10 years old. This was the trek I had organised, it was very personal to me. If they thought I was going down they had another think coming.

"But they made it quite clear the only cure for altitude sickness was to go back down and then rest.

"Understanding my distress they came up with an alternative which meant I could still complete the trek."

Mike and one tour guide would go back the way the group had just come and then make their alternative way to the final destination, the awesome archaeological wonder of Machu Picchu.

"The rest of the gang were very worried about me, and some broke down in tears when I had to go. And I was feeling really miserable myself - it was the most miserable afternoon of my life.

"We had built up a tremendous team spirit and I really didn't want to leave the group.

"And that's when the adventure started. We caught the train to a different point of the trek only to be told by an official we were not allowed as it was against the rules.

"I said what do we do now to get to Machu Picchu, and my guide said the only way was by rail and there were not more trains so we walked it.

"We walked along the railway line for about two-and-half- hours. It was a hard slog in the heat and the humidity and we hadn't eaten the night before.

"All we had between us were eight bananas, some chocolate and some water. We came to the town at the foot of Machu Picchu and when we got there we found there weren't any buses running.

"My guide said, 'it's a good job you are fit Senor Mike because we are going to have to walk up'.

"The climb is almost vertical and we started to walk up the steep slopes and steps. And the steps just seemed to keep on coming, with no end in sight.

"We kept on going up for over two hours in baking hot sunshine and then I got my first view of Machu Picchu and it was awesome.

"Then we were met by another official who said we couldn't go any further. But this time my guide, who I taught a whole lot of new English swear words, put his foot down and said we were going. We then headed to Sungate where people pitch up before they go to Machu Picchu. That took an hour. My guide then told me we would have to go backwards and trek another three hour to meet the others.

"All in all we walked seven hours with just our bananas and chocolate to keep us going.

"We eventually got to the campsite just as it was getting dark. The rest of the group were getting really worried about us and were looking in the opposite direction for our arrival.

"I ended up doing two-and-a-half times more the distance than the rest of the party. When we told the rest of the group what we had to do get here they were staggered."

But Mike knew he had passed a real test of endurance and spirit.

He said: "Looking back from being so devastated at being split from the rest of the group I finished feeling on a high, it was real character building."

Then, together, the group set off for Machu Picchu on the final day of their trek.

"When we got to the point where people traditionally got their first view of Machu Picchu and there was low cloud and we couldn't see it.

"We were just about to set off when the clouds parted and we spent a wonderful four or five hours just looking at this awesome sight. It had been quite an experience."

The group expects to raise an amazing £17,000 for the Portfield School at Hurn.

The others who took part in the trek were: Georgina Curtis, 24, a child minder from Verwood; Claire Dashwood, 43, personal trainer from Bournemouth; Lisa Griffiths, 34 a nurse from Buckland Newton; Janet Hiscock, 44, a nurse from Parkstone; Kay Irvine, 38, PR Consultant; Angus Macdonald, 38, a teacher at Portfield School; Cate Mazzone, 33, a housewife from Alderholt; Mike Pocklington, 48, a teacher at Portfield School; Andrew Russell, 36, a distribution manager from West Moors; and Brenda Traylen, 54, a community police officer from Christchurch.

Next year, another trek... this time it's to Mount Kilimanjaro. Anyone interested should call Mike at the Wessex Autistic Society on 01202 483360.