Carlisle man's Inca Trail trip raises £3k for Dementia UK

Carlisle's Eelyn Oliver has been running his Facebook page since 2019 and boasts over 140,000 followers on the account. 

Last week, he fulfilled his dream of visiting Peru, where he visited a number of historic sites, before setting off on a four-day Inca Trail through the Andes Mountains to Machu Picchu.

Humantay Lake - high up in the Andes Mountains in Peru (Image: Supplied) Upon his return to the UK, the father-of-two has officially raised over £3,000 for the charity which is close to his and his family's heart. 

Speaking to the News & Star, Eeelyn said: "Peru was a holiday of a lifetime. I have waited years to do the Inca Trail and it was worth the wait. I am proud to have raised over £3,100 for Dementia UK and I am very thankful to all who have donated."

Completing the Inca Trail certainly was no easy feat, with the high altitude causing issues at times.

Eelyn added: "The entire holiday was at high altitude. We used Cusco as our base, which is one of the highest large cities in the world, situated at over 11,000 feet above sea level, over twice the height of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain. 

It was the trip of a lifetime for Eelyn (Image: Supplied) "The first few days were tough. On the first day I had to take about 10 breaks walking just a few hundred metres uphill. I had a thumping headache and went to bed early on the first day. But after a few days me and my friend Jamie were fine. We visited Rainbow Mountain, 5,000 metres above sea level (about 16,500 feet). Once we had done this we knew we were ready for the Inca Trail, the highest point of which is about 13,800 feet.

"The whole experience was great, even if it was a little wet. The hardest part was the second day of the Inca Trail. We climbed up Dead Women's Pass and descended 600 metres before climbing 400 metres and descending again to the campsite. What really surprised me was the food. It was amazing. Three full meals a day and they were great. You do not go hungry on the Inca Trail."

The high altitude was definitely tricky to contend with at times (Image: Supplied) Eelyn's next historical adventure is in May when he will spend two weeks excavating at Vindolands Roman Fort in Northumberland.

He added: "I hope to visit more historic places over the next few years, such as Italy, Greece, and as far away as China, hence the name of my page. There is nowhere I will not go in the pursuit of history."