It will be the most mentally and physically demanding challenge of their lives.
But for two Norfolk men, determined to complete a gruelling four-day trek up the Inca Trail in the Peruvian mountains – and raise £6,000 for charity in the process, nothing less would do.
Gary Bicker and Dave Huggins, who work together in Norwich, will undertake the trip in March in memory of Mr Bicker’s 19-year-old brother Steven who died suddenly last year.
“This completely devastated my family, and the loss I feel is immense. I feel that it is incredibly important to raise money for research into the causes of SDS (Sudden Death Syndrome) and to raise awareness among the general public of this silent killer.
This will also allow CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) to continue the amazing job that they do,” said Mr Bicker, who lives in Swaffham.
“CRY is an amazing charity. They do some great work in supporting families affected by Sudden Death Syndrome and work very hard to raise money for support initiatives, research and awareness raising.
“For me and my family the impact of their work has been direct, they have been able to screen us for any signs of what took Steven and also arranged contact for us with leading specialists in this field to try and help us to understand what happened.”
The duo will be climbing to more than 4,400m above sea level along rough terrain where the potential for sickness and exhaustion are huge.
Mr Huggins, from Newton Flotman, said: “It will be a bit of a departure for both of us but we wanted to stretch ourselves and do something that was mentally and physically challenging which would also give us the opportunity to raise awareness.
“We have been working on our fitness and are planning to climb Snowdon to get into the swing of things.”
A charity cricket match, in which both of them played, has already been held to help towards raising funds, which now stand at about £1,500.
If you would like to donate visit
http://www.justgiving.com/.daveandgarygotoperu
