The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fife minister meets alpacas as she prepares for Peru trek.
Intrepid reverend expects sore legs, blisters and sogginess in return for raising funds for charity
A Fife minister is lacing up her walking boots ahead of a charity trek in Peru in October.
The Rev Monika Redman, leader of St Leonard’s Church in Dunfermline, will try to become the first female Church of Scotland minister to trek to Machu Picchu.
The challenge is being undertaken as part of her effort to raise at least £3,775 for Blythswood Care, which runs a Christmas Shoebox Appeal to support vulnerable people across Europe, Africa and Asia
The 48-year-old will scale the 3,000 steps to the Temple of the Sun, and while she is excited about the journey she is expecting some pain along the way.
She said: “When I was a child I used to read adventure stories and I remember one about children who discovered a long lost city deep in the mountains, which was still inhabited.
“I used to pretend I was an archaeologist and I would find such a city, so in a way, this promises to be a dream come true.
“I am excited and a bit nervous about the trek because I am not a fan of walking up hills and it is going to be hard graft and entail sore legs, blisters and sogginess as it could rain every day.”
Mrs Redman’s trek is expected to take around 10 days, for which she is preparing by taking daily 10-mile training walks.
Ahead of her journey she went to an alpaca farm on the outskirts of Edinburgh to acquaint herself with some of the natives.
The quirky-looking animals, related to llamas, are farmed for their fleeces and used for animal tourism in Peru.
Mrs Redman said: “Meeting the alpacas and taking them for a walk was a lot of fun and helped build anticipation for the trek.
“The congregation at St Leonard’s Parish Church have been involved in the annual shoebox appeal, which involves sending practical items like toiletries, small items of clothing and other gifts to disadvantaged adults and children at Christmas, for many years.
“They are shipped out to lighten the winter for people who have very little and live in desperate parts of Europe.
“It is a privilege to raise money to support this important work.”