I'm having second thoughts. The steep stone path we've been slowly climbing for the last half-hour has disappeared and we're standing on a small section of terracing with terrifying thousand-metre drops on three sides.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Perhaps we should have heeded the advice of the security guard who told us not to carry on.

Suddenly, Rob (the only other person on the tour foolish enough to attempt this with me) spots a small arrow pointing into what appears to be a sheer rock face.

Apus Peru Adventure Travel specialise in unique treks to little known places - their routes cross remote mountain ranges, skirt around snow capped peaks and visit out of the way communities. Yet their latest offerings - Christmas hikes - take the idea of participative tourism to a new level.

These hikes feature a day in a remote community bringing to these isolated, often undernourished, and unkempt children the most distinctive Christmas tradition - the Chocolatada. This tradition sees businesses or institutions giving to the less needy through giving out hot chocolate, bread and gifts.

I never considered myself an adventure traveler until I got to Peru, where even a short bus trip can turn into an adventure – road blocks, llamas, livestock, rocky cliffs, flat tires and all.

I always considered myself a part of the more mainstream backpacker crowd – Lonely Planet in hand - as I explored Maccu Picchu, Cusco, Lima, and the Nazca Lines.