Peeblesshire News | News | Fundraisers raise the red alert

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Friday, 11th July, 2008 12:35

Fundraisers raise the red alert

By David Knox

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A PEEBLES fundraiser was part of a charity trekking group that had to be rescued from a remote Chinese mountain.

Audrey Brockie raised almost £3,500 for Children’s Liver Disease Foundation by completing more than 100 miles of the Great Wall of China.

But the trip almost ended in disaster on the first day when the entire party got lost in the dark.

A rescue party had to be scrambled to the Black Dragon Pools area near Lijiang in the Yunnan Provence.

The 29-year-old administrator from Peebles told us: “The trail we were to follow had become overgrown and we went the wrong way.

“We kept walking and walking and it became dark. There were gorges and big drops around us so it was a bit scary.

“A few of the girls who were with us became quite upset.

“I had a head torch with me which was lucky but the others were stumbling about in the dark.”

A local voluntary rescue team found the 10 fundraisers and their guides several miles from the trek trail.

The Black Dragon Pools area is rugged and mountainous with few way-marked routes.

Despite the first-day scare the charity challenge group continued to complete their five-day, and 120-miles, expedition to the Mutianyu section of the wall.

Audrey added: “We were laughing about getting lost the following morning and continued as we had planned.

“There were many highlights along the way but it was also really tough.

“I couldn’t even imagine how many steps we climbed up and down over the five days.”

Audrey’s walk raised £3,315.63 for the children’s charity which helped her cousin, Aaron Gray, when he almost died from liver disease as an infant.

The 12-year-old received a liver and small bowel transplant when he was just three and also underwent two heart operations.

But cousin Aaron has defied the odds to lead a normal life.

And his mum, Catriona Hamilton, champions the work of the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation. Catriona said: “We are all delighted with Audrey’s efforts although I don’t think being rescued was part of the plan.

“The idea of the foundation is to raise both awareness of liver disease in children and funds towards research for a cure.

“A lot of people don’t realize that children can suffer from liver disease.”

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