High fashion

10:50am Saturday 22nd November 2008

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A BUSINESS manager from York will swap her stiletto heels for a pair of walking boots when she embarks on a high-altitude trek in aid of charity.

Evelyn Bate, 29, who works at Nestlé in York, will reach heights of 4,215m when she walks the historic four-day Inca Trail in Peru next March.

Evelyn, who lives off Leeman Road, in York, aims to raise at least £2,800 for the Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity in honour of her dad, Andrew Bate. He has been battling cancer since 2005 and is hoping a ground-breaking donor stem cell treatment has put him into remission.

Evelyn said: “Doing something like this is completely not me. I like my hair straighteners, high heels and long finger nails and I definitely don’t do mud.

“It’s been really funny buying all the walking gear and getting ready. I went out for a walk in the Peak District last weekend and fell over in a peat bog.

“I’m absolutely determined to do it, but I’m still in the apprehensive stage. I’ve never been at altitude before, so I don’t know how I’m going to react to it.”

The four-day Inca Trail journey will take Evelyn along remote mountain trails to see Machu Picchu, the legendary Lost City Of The Incas.

The trek takes in steep trails climbing to the Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,400 metres, with breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks of the Andes.

She said: “My dad thinks what I’m doing is fantastic and he’s got every faith in me that I’ll do it. His attitude throughout his illness has been amazing. He has obviously had moments when he’s been scared, but he is 100 per cent determined to beat his cancer and I find him inspirational. He’s an amazing man and I love him.” Andrew was diagnosed with myeloma in December 2005 after scans revealed a tumour on his spine. After a course of radiotherapy, it was thought he had beaten it, but the cancer returned in his ribs and he underwent further chemotherapy.

Earlier this year, he had a stem-cell transplant using his sister’s stem cells and doctors are now waiting to see whether his body will reject the cells. Evelyn is organising a “cheesy”

disco at The Crescent Working Men’s Club, off Blossom Street, in York, next Friday.

Tickets cost £8, including a buffet meal, and doors open at 7.30pm. To buy tickets, email Evelyn at eveysummer@hotmail.com