There are many great mountain treks in the world, and Huayhuash Circuit, famed for the Touching the Void story, is one of the most magnificent. Girls on Top Andes to Amazon was a journey spanning three countries, one of the world's highest altitude treks, its mightiest jungle and wildest river. It was inspired by the majesty of the Andes and the inspiring work of one woman at a tiny animal rescue centre and butterfly farm deep in the Amazon.

Even before the team left Sydney on a bright, early October day, the demands of fund raising, personal doubts, training schedules & team dynamics had knocked five of the original eight team members out of action - just three made it to the next part of the adventure.

After a whirlwind visit to beautiful Buenos Aires we found ourselves in the Andes at Huayhuash, flanked by glaciers, little blue lakes, alpine meadows, smiling children & even the occassional butterfly along a trail of ancient rock, ice, snow & sun-bitten peaks. The team travelled into thin air exposed to extremes of sun, wind, rain and snow. We heard the roar of avalanches at night & the cry of eagles by day. Rapid ascents, lack of sleep & the toll of altitude brought us the gifts of amazing views & unspoilt wilderness, but this trip demanded strength, stamina & determination as it forced us to meet the mountains in our own minds.

Girls on Top were belles among the boulders though, trekking in style with plaits and shorts (over thermals) while boys were being air lifted out of teams from France, Britain & Israel. By the time we headed from our breathless & icy camps to the rich, sweet funk of an Amazon heatwave we were ready for anything  - including a renovation rescue!

At the Amazon Animal Orphanage near the jungle city of Iquitos in Peru, Girls on Top arrived to find giant blue Morphos fluttering by like enchanted dinner plates. Delicate Heliconia sent electric currents of love through a Wonderland of tropical plants and flowers as Pedro, a rescued jaguar, yawned in the afternoon sun. Little Chavo, an orphan monkey rescued with bullet wounds in his chest and leg crashed through trees to see if we have bought him treats of nits from our travels, while other monkeys, sloths & anteaters lounged in leafy hammocks all around.

This project fills a serious gap in wildlife protection in Peru where outlaw hunters & international sydnicates catch, kill & trade in rare creatures - contributing to the loss of a great wilderness already at the mercy of loggers, mass cropping & industrial development.

Here we meet with Gudrun Sperrer who breeds butterflies, the single greatest pollinator of the Amazon basin, to protect them from becoming endangered & support the matrix of plant & animal life. She heals & shelters endangered animals of other species too, her efforts kindling hope for many species as well as educating tourists and locals, & providing livelihoods for indigenous workers in the area.

Thanks to our supporters, sponsors & the donations we earned through this adventure, Girls on Top were able to fund renovations to the centre's shop & volunteer quarters (some of which we even did ourselves!), provide new fencing to protect plants & animals, supply new educational materials to extend the work & success of this Amazon project - one woman's vision.

We left a gift on behalf of all who supported us that will save lives & help protect a world treasure for perhaps a little longer. We left with a lesson too; that great things - hopes, ideas, adventures, choices, jungles or mountains - are each the sum of their tiniest parts.

The butterfly is to the Amazon what a footstep is to a mountain.