Last year, Tori and I asked our friends and family to sponsor our trek of the Inca Trail. The donations went to the charity Project Peru, a children's refuge where we are due to volunteer.

But as we find ourselves all geared up at the start of the trail up with wet weather jackets at the ready we realise it is time to put our money where our mouths (or feet) are.

Why is the Inca Trail so important? It is merely a tiny section of one of many trails that ran through a vast Inca empire that includes modern day Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, North West Argentina and Chile. Yet every year, thousands of people book far in advance to walk this particular route in the Peruvian Andes.

Naming the route ´THE Inca Trail´ is a clever tourism trick and adds an element of drama. It has become possibly one of the most famous treks in the world.

If you are fit and able it would be hard to return home and say to people you did not bother to walk the Inca Trail.

Also, there are plenty of alternatives to the Inca Trail that twist and turn through the Sacred Valley and cloud forests such as the Lares Trek that Tori and I completed a few weeks earlier.

All that said, there is little disputing the facts. The Inca Trail offers spectacular views, you visit several impressive Inca sites whilst learning about the Inca Empire and the experience is memorable.

But it is the sense of achievement in reaching the ruins at Machu Picchu after a four day trek that is the top attraction.

The recent devastation of Peru caused by heavy rain fall closed the Inca Trail for an indefinite period of time. Our nerves were tested as we entered Peru without the knowledge if our permits were in place. Landslides washed away parts of the trail and large sections of the train track that takes you back to civilisation. However, all that is put behind us as we stand at km82 waiting to have our passports stamped, details checked and start the hike. As we cross the bridge, a photographer comes to take an action shot of us embarking on our way. The other members of our group are baffled yet I know through friends that after the trail they will try and sell us certificates with our images already printed. I quickly run beside Tori and pull a serious ´I am off on a hearty hike and do not try and stop me face´ whilst Tori cannot resist to look directly at the lens with a wide grin that says ´ooh, pictures.´ The idea of us being in the same shot was to save us some money when it came to buying the certificate that I knew Tori would want.

It worked, though the contrast in our styles is hilarious. We soon pass several ruins. Educated guesses were offered as to each sites purpose though relatively little is known of the Inca Empire. The society wrote nothing down, preferring to relay messages by using different knots tied into rope. This has not helped historians. Most information seems to have been gathered from transcripts of interviews between Spanish conquistadors and native leaders.

We plod along and by the time we reach our campsite for the first night, Tori has already developed a blister on the heel of each foot.

Not really great news considering day two consists of a couple of tough passes. We hope they will be better in the morning.

They are not. Tori painfully pulls on her boots and continues on her way. After a while she becomes more used to the feeling and listens to her iPod. Her spirits are raised as we begin our climb to Dead Woman's Pass.

At over 4198 metres, this is the highest point of the trail and takes a couple of hours. As we near the top, clouds gather and the sky looks heavy.

We reach the summit and instead of feeling exhilarated we get a soaking. It is positively chucking down and the view is nowhere to be seen. Still, we are pretty happy we have made it and begin to descend down slippery Inca steps. The rain eases as we dry off on our way to our second camp. Tori's blisters have become even worse.

Porters run the length of the Inca Trail carrying huge bags up to the weight of 25kg. They earn a tiny wage in comparison to the large sums tourists pay.

The luckiest porters may be wearing trainers or fake converse. Most dash along wearing sandals, some are broken. When you arrive at your campsite, the porters have set up your tent, your bags have arrived and a delicious dinner is being cooked. By the end of the trek, a huge respect has grown for the porters and our group tips them generously. They walk back along the train track to the start of the trail to repeat the cycle. Gaps in the clouds appear on the third day and offer us some superb views. The going is good even though Tori is still in a great deal of discomfort.

We reach the third and final campsite where Tori shows her blisters to the porters. Their shocked silence tells its own story.

The final campsite is where every person on The Inca Trail stays. There is an option of a hot shower and there is an overpriced bar.

Well, we had not had a drink for a few nights so we felt justified in our purchase of a bottle of wine.

It is a very dark and early start the next morning but we have had a fine sleep thanks to the wine. Most groups head directly to Machu Picchu though our tour guide recommends we take a slight detour to watch the sunrise at the ruins of Winay Wayna.

It turns out that we are the only group to do this and we feel privledged. The ruins cover a steep side of a mountain packed with terraces.

Small waterfalls cascade around us and the view of the valley is something from a postcard. The sun rises over the deserted ruins. The name translates as Forever Young and there is a mystical atmosphere.

We turn back after pulling ourselves away from these ruins to head to Machu Picchu. After a couple more hours we finally arrive at The Sungate.

From here, this is where we are able to see the ruins of Machu Picchu for the first time. Our excitement grows, there are plenty of people milling around. We round the corner and there it is.... a thick cloud. Lots of cloud. More cloud than you could see in England. Well we are in a cloud forest but did there have to be so much in this particular spot on this particular day? We feel pretty deflated as did everybody around us. But we wait a while and soon enough the famous ruins begin to come into sight.

We had done it. Despite the pain and discomfort that Tori is in, we had completed the Inca Trail and we had raised money for a charity in the process.

Tori changes into flip flops for a tour of the now sun soaked ruins. As feet begin to repair and tired legs are put up to rest, we feel that the money that had been donated has been justifiably earned. Donations can still be made at justgiving.com/Tori-Byrnes