Peru Rocks

The Colorado-based Love Hope Strength foundation hosted an event recently called "Peru Rocks", where 63 travelers - including musicians from The Fixx, Fastball, The Alarm and more - along with cancer survivors, and their supporters from around the world joined together to raise funds and awareness of cancer-related issues in Peru. The trip took the trekkers from Cuzco, Peru to the heights of Machu Picchu, back down to Lima, where they met with patients and doctors of INEN, Peru's main cancer center. The travelers finished their trip with a concert in Lima on October 15th. Funds raised on the trip were donated to INEN, and will be used to establish a fully staffed and equipped medical bus that will serve rural Peru, screening residents for cancer. (25 photos total)

Huayna Picchu (mountain at center) towers above this view of the ruins of Machu Picchu, in the Peruvian Andes, seen on October 13, 2008 (© Gary Noel)

Cobblestone Streets of Cuzco, where the Peru Rocks team gathered and acclimatized before their climb to Machu Picchu, seen on October 7, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Local Peruvian boys taking part in a parade in Cuzco on October 8, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Trekkers write last minute dedications on the prayer flags that were carried to Machu Picchu, October 8, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Narrow cobblestone Streets in Cuzco, Peru October 7, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

First sight of the Llactapata Ruins along the Inca Trail, still four kilometers west of Machu Picchu, seen on October 10, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Llactapata steps, part of a complex of ruins related to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail. Photo taken October 10, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

View of snowcapped mountains along the Inca trail, October 10, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

A night scene from the first campsite at the village of Wayllabamba, Peru on October 11, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Team member Shannon Foley, seen uploading the daily podcast journals which let the world watch as the team progressed on their trek, October 11, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

An Alpaca encountered along the Inca Trail, October 11, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Team members and musicians Tony Scalzo, Joey Shuffield, and Miles Zuniga from Fastball join Mike Peters of the Alarm, Cy Curnin of The Fixx, Nick Harper and Brien McVernon for a jam session with the porters on the mountain, October 11, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Mike Peters from the Alarm with his wife Jules, happy to have arrived at Machu Picchu on October 13, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

First sight of the ruins of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate, October 13, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Sixteen of a group of travelers from Colorado that all made the trek together, October 13, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Closer view of more ruins along the trail to Machu Picchu, October 12, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

The entire Peru Rocks crew dedicating the prayer flags at their final destination, Machu Picchu, October 13, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

The ruins of Machu Picchu, October 14, 2008. Constructed around 1460, overlooked by Spanish conquerors, and rediscovered by the West in 1911, the treasured site is visited by over 400,000 travelers every year. (© Gary Noel) #

A vessel containing the Ashes of Otto Schutt, a San Francisco man who passed away in May, a victim of colon cancer. Otto's ashes were brought on the trek by his two friends Lee Williams and David Dexter and his nephew Derrick Tabish on October 14, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Derrick Tabish, David Dexter and Lee Williams celebrate the life of Otto Schutt by spreading his ashes along the Inca Trail, October 14, 2008. Otto and Lee had planned to make the trek together, in part as a way to have a goal to look forward to as Otto endured his cancer treatment. Unfortunately, Otto lost his battle with cancer in May of 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Musician Nick Harper performing in Lima, Peru at the finale concert, wrapping up the trek on October 15, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Visit to the children's ward at the main cancer center INEN in Peru, where the children received gifts and cards the trekkers had brought on October 16, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

Young Peruvian patients smile, excited to receive so many visitors at their local cancer center INEN, October 16, 2008. (© Gary Noel) #

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