A DELIVERY company worker left her parcels and post at home to trekon horseback across the snow-capped peaks of the Andes mountain range.

Lindy Bentley, aged 45, was joined by nine others for the fundraising adventure.

Lindy, of Knowsley Cottages, Ainsworth, spent 10 days travelling through Argentina and Chile raising £4,000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust, a charity that provides a register of donors for patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.

The TNT worker and her fellow trekkers started the Andes adventure in Mendoza, Argentina.

With their Agentinian mules and a team doctor, they travelled 85 miles through Scaravelli, along the Tunuyan River and on to the Real de la Cruz.

Lindy said: "It was absolutely fantastic, a completely unforgettable experience.

"Being out on those mountains you feel like you're on a totally different planet. The views were amazing and we had a really great group of people."

Before crossing Portillo Piuquenes, the international border, they had to switch to Chilean horses to continue their journey into Chile - Argentinian horses are not allowed in Chile.

The challenge started on February 8 and finished on February 18, with each night spent under the stars.

Lindy said: "The weather was glorious and we had a lot of fun round the camp fire every night.

"The guides and gauchos were excellent too, nothing was too much for them.

"I'd encourage everyone to do a trek like this. Don't even think about it, just do it. Take life by the horns, this is an exceptional experience that is impossible to repeat."

Anyone interested in taking part in another Andes adventure should visit www.anthonynolan.org.uk.