Local charity trekkers, including Journal Editor, Becky Brooks, and Karen Burge, from Midsomer Norton, have returned home after walking the Great Wall of China to raise money for a pioneering new Cancer Centre at the Royal United Hospital, Bath.

Becky and Karen were joined by twelve others who live and work locally as they set off on their overseas adventure, which has seen the group fundraising throughout the year, raising over £40,000 between them. The experience saw the team away for ten days, finding their way along rarely visited parts of the Great Wall, quite literally scaling mountains by following its path.

Becky explains: "Our first and last days were spent on the tourist stretches of the wall and, despite training for months, I don't think any of us were really prepared for the sheer scale of it all. It was incredible. We were also expecting some flatter terrain inbetween steps, but as the wall follows the land, we were mountaineering for much of the time, climbing sometimes vertical slopes and navigating very steep steps in full sun and high humidity.

"The remainder of the days saw us following the wall, trekking up through mountains, woodland and navigating some really tricky terrain, even walking along the rubble of the wall. Not good if you didn't have a head for heights! We all came back without any major injuries, a few cuts and bruises here and there, but plenty of stories to tell. Most definitely an experience that none of us will ever forget, for a whole variety of reasons.

"It was the most difficult but rewarding thing I have ever done and I think we are all feeling very proud of ourselves. It was a real team effort."

The group stayed in hostels and budget hotels on the way around, which saw them start at Beijing, Huangyaguan, Jinshanling, Guebikou and Mutianyu, before heading back to Beijing and flying home via Hong Kong. Their longest day saw them trekking for nine hours, including a 200-step, near-vertical ascent up 'Heaven's Ladder'.

Becky and Karen have raised over £13,000 between them, with Karen walking in memory of four friends, Joanne Wilcox, Mark Box, Kate Taylor and Paula Carter, who were undergoing treatment at the same time as she was fighting breast cancer. Recent months have seen the pair receive tremendous support from the local community, with a big fundraising party and raffle, organised by Party Plus at Welton Rovers before they left, raising £2,400.

"Karen and I would like to say such a big thank you to everyone for their donations and support this year. When we signed up, we didn't quite realise what a huge challenge it would be and how much time and effort we would need to dedicate to this cause. But we are so glad we did and we are so appreciative of everyone for getting right behind us. Thank you. And now you can rest easy, we won't be trying to sell you cakes or raffle tickets anymore!"

The RUH trekkers included five staff at the RUH, including Dr Dorothy Goddard who has recently retired as the Director of the hospital's Breast Unit to become Associate Medical Director for Cancer Strategy, Dr Hugh Goddard, Russell Corbett, Jacqueline Cousins, Sarah Leybourne, Paula Richards, Christine Walters, Sue Gilby, Sally Smith, Patricia Symons, Alex Whiting and Biddy Walcot.

With the success of this trip, the RUH is looking to send a team to take part in a Dharamsala Trek in India next year. The Forever Friends Appeal's RUH Cancer Care Campaign is raising £8.5 million towards the new centre that will transform the way in which cancer is treated locally. The hospital trekkers were joined by others raising money for various other charities, such as Rethink Mental Illness and Guide Dogs for the Blind. Between them, the group of 28 raised around £78,000.