A YORK student is pulling on his hiking boots and will be leading a team in a trek to Machu Picchu in Peru for charity.

Scott Baker, 18, has had an eventful 12 months, after passing his A-levels, leaving home to study computer science at the University of York and joining Fulford Detachment of B Company, Yorkshire North and West Army Cadet Force as an adult volunteer.

He now faces a new challenge this September, leading a team of 26 fellow students in a trek to the Peruvian citadel of Machu Picchu.

The trek to the Incan citadel is expected to take the team a total of six days, during which they will cross the Salkantay Mountain Pass, a glacier-capped summit rising to 6,271m or 20,574 ft above sea level.

They will then descend through a number of large valleys, camping in tents overnight and dealing with unpredictable weather conditions, before reaching Machu Picchu in early September.

Scott, originally from Hull, decided to take up the fundraising trekking challenge after hearing about the charity Action Against Hunger through the university’s Students’ Union RAG group.

The charity's aim is to alleviate the effects of hunger by working with communities to ensure access to food, clean water and healthcare by giving training and enabling people to provide for themselves.

Each team member is tasked with raising at least £3,000 to pay for the expedition and to raise funds for the charity.

Scott has still to raise a minimum of £1,000 to achieve his goal. If you would like to help by making a donation, visit https://yorkmachu17.everydayhero.com/uk/scott-baker-machu-picchu-expedition-2017