A widow has raised more than £1,000 for a children’s hospital appeal in memory of her husband.

Susan Algar took part in the charity trek to Machu Picchu in Peru as a tribute to her husband, historical writer Peter Algar, who died suddenly at the age of 55.

She embarked on the ten-day trek with her son Luke, 28, who lives in Sydney – raising a total of £1,098 for The Leeds Children’s Hospital Appeal.

Mr Algar, who lived in Horsforth, won plaudits for his historical novels. He died in 2012 after the publication of his second novel, Dead Man’s Hill – a follow-up to The Shepherd Lord, which told the story of Henry Clifford, the 10th Lord of Skipton.

Mrs Algar said: “This all started after my husband Peter passed away, which was a huge shock to everyone. He had been an incredibly kind man and was always going out of his way to do things for other people.

“He was also very physically fit and loved the great outdoors. A perfect example of this was when he trekked across the Sahara desert for charity.

“So, in his memory, my son decided to take on the ten-day charity trek in Peru. At first I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but it’s clearer than ever to me now that you only live once, so I decided to go for it.

“We had to walk for ten hours a day through the mountains and camped on the hillside at night. The weather was very extreme – freezing cold at night and blazing hot sun in the day. The area we trekked through was absolutely stunning and completely remote.

“The people who lived there would sometimes have to walk for a day to get to their nearest neighbour, so were always extremely welcoming when we came across them.

“It was a fantastic experience that I will never forget and made even the better knowing it raised £,1098 for The Leeds Children’s Hospital Appeal.”

Mrs Algar is a member of staff at the Froebelian School in Horsforth, and the money she raised formed part of a £10,823 donation presented by the school to the hospital appeal earlier this year.