"IT was the most incredible experience, physically, mentally and emotionally challenging - but I absolutely loved it."

Emma Lewis sums up in a few words the challenging trek she recently embarked on for a cause very much close to her own heart.

The impetus for Emma lacing up her walking boots and taking part in the trek along part of the Great Wall of China was to raise funds for The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust - a charity which helped her and her family following their own personal experience.

Although Emma is used to walking, a form of exercise which has helped in her recovery after undergoing two hip arthroscopies, participating in the Great Wall of China charity trek posed a new and exciting challenge. "I absolutely loved it," says Emma.

She admits one of her fears was embarking on the trip alone.

"I went on the trek on my own but have come home with 37 friends who also did the trek too," says Emma, referring to Dani Woods and Eliz Brierley who were raising money for Forget-me-not, a Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS trust charity supporting patients with dementia.

"I travelled 5,000 miles and did the trek with ladies who live down the road!"

Recalling the experience, Emma tells how after travelling for 30 hours they were given their first taste of trekking along the wall.

"When we arrived they got us out on the wall straight away. We've been travelling 30 hours, we had a Chinese lunch and just after lunch they got us up for a mini warm up, trekking for two hours," explains Emma.

She admits it was during the two hour warm-up trek that she contemplated whether she could actually do the challenge - the heat was so intense.

"It was incredible. It is hard to describe but it was absolutely amazing. The trek itself was physically challenging and the heat was immense - it was 30 degrees."

During the five day challenge, Emma walked over 50km taking in 100 watchtowers, approximately 671 flights of stairs and burnt more than 23,000 calories.

"The scenery took your breath away and mountains seemed to go on and on. It was absolutely fantastic, the views were amazing.

"When you go up another flight of stairs I could have stopped and taken photographs of it but you have to keep going, you have to keep moving."

Emma admits it was emotional and mentally draining at times, but the camaraderie shared within the group helped them all through.

For Emma, the trip was particularly poignant as it enabled her to boost funds for The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, a charity which supported her and her family through their own personal experience.

One of the highlights of the trek, for Emma, was laying her own brick in the wall dedicated to the charity and to other families who have been through similiar circumstances.

Explains Emma: "I also took part in a restoration project at Badaling with special permission from the Chinese government and laid my own brick in the wall with a special note dedicated to those who have suffered an Ectopic Pregnancy."

So far Emma's efforts have raised £1,545 for The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust - and donations are still coming in.

Says Emma: "It all feels a bit surreal being home now, but I would consider doing another trek in the future."

Dating back 2,300 years, the Great Wall of China measures 21,196.18km and offers spectacular scenery including beautiful beaches and rugged mountains.

In 1987 it was placed on the World Heritage Site list by UNESCO.

Emma and her family have supported the charity since her own devastating experience of an ectopic pregnancy in 2009.

An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that has implanted outside the uterus. The most common site is the fallopian tube which transports the embryo from the ovary to the uterus. As the pregnancy grows and enlarges, it causes pain and bleeding and, if not treated prior, will eventually rupture and cause internal haemorrhaging.

Symptoms can include abdominal pain, shoulder tip-pain, abnormal or unusual bleeding, a missed or late period, bladder or bowel problems or collapse.

Emma, who lives in Tong with her husband, Simon and children eight-year-old Max and Jessica, five, is keen to continue supporting the trust to help raise awareness and also to help other families in future.

She says the whole experience has been 'life changing' and would encourage anyone who wants to undertake a charity challenge to do it.

"I would go again tomorrow it was such a great experience. I am telling everybody, if there is something like that you want to do have a go and do it."

To find out more contact Emma@hip2trek.co.uk. For more information, support and advice about Ectopic Pregnancy visit ectopic.org.uk