Twenty-one 16 and 17-year-olds from King Edward VI High School for Girls went on an adventure of a lifetime to Bolivia last summer.

The World Challenge Expedition, which lasted a month, challenged the team members in every possible way. The girls took part in fundraising events for 18 months prior to departure in order to achieve their goals.

They chose their itinerary, which took them from the lowlands of Santa Cruz to the Amazonian basin in the north, the Cordillera Real of the Andes, the Salar de Uyuni in the Southern Altiplana and also Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca.

They led the expedition themselves, organising transport, mules, trekking guides, map reading, accommodation and food, as well as being responsible for the budget. One week was spent working in an orphanage in La Paz where the girls were able to donate £900 as a result of designing and selling their own Christmas cards last year.

Over the month the girls faced the challenges of hiking and camping at very high altitudes, coping with the effects of numerous stomach bugs and food poisoning, as well as the challenge of La Paz, which at 3,200 metres, its steep hills and mad traffic, is an endurance test in itself.

The girls and staff from the Birmingham school had a fantastic adventure in South America and described it as a "life changing experience."

As one pupil put it: "Bolivia opened my eyes. Not only did I see a new extraordinary culture, but I saw something new in myself."

From England with love: The girls with some of the La Paz orphans.