A woman from Croydon has started intense training in preparation for a week long trek through some of China's most remote areas.

Sonya Brucciani of Featherbed Lane, Selsdon, will fly to Shanghai on October 16, to begin the first leg of a six-day trek.

The challenge will see her join 18 other walkers from across the UK as they trek 45 miles, crossing rivers and climbing up to 10,000 ft in terrain ranging from forests to mountains.

The journey begins in Rock City and travels to Lugu Lake, the finishing point. The group will walk an average of nine miles a day and will also be meeting local families who they will stay with overnight.

The 45-year-old marketing director hopes to raise £3,500 for Animals Asia Foundation, which rescues moon bears that have been incarcerated on bear bile farms across China and Vietnam.

The bears, known as moon bears because of the golden crescents on their chests, are kept in cages often no bigger than their own bodies and are milked constantly for their bile.

The bile is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat health problems raising from hangovers to haemorrhoids.

After the challenge, the trekkers will visit the sanctuary in China where they will meet some of the bears rescued from bile farms.

Ms Brucciani said: "I am so passionate about the bears, I want to do all I can to help the charity. I think their work is amazing and by doing this trek, it will help them to rescue and save more bears."

Anyone wishing to sponsor Sonya for her trekking challenge can leave a donation on her Just Giving page http://www.justgiving.com/Sonya-Brucciani1