Optician finds his way up to the Incas’ Machu Picchu mountain capital

Optician director Jayesh Maru has seen his way to the ancient mountain-top Inca capital of Machu Picchu and has found his way back to east London.

Impressive ancient Inca capital of Machu Picchu in the Perivian Andes. Picture: Jayesh Maru - Credit: Jayesh Maru

Staff at his three Specsaver stores in Bethnal Green, Hackney and Dalston have been congratulating him this week on trekking the famous Inca Trail in Peru in aid of the Mind mental health charity.

Jayesh took part in the two-week charity challenge with his wife Dipa, along with his colleague from the company’s stores in west London, Kam Gohil and his wife Nishma.

The two colleagues shared a previous trek in 2009 to conquer the 19,000ft Mount Kilimanjaro in east Africa for charity in just five days.

“Mountain trekking is a big passion of mine,” Jayesh admits. “I’m able to do what I love combined with raising money for a good cause.”

The four intrepid treckers Jayesh, Kam with their wives Dipa and Nishma in Peru. Picture: Jayesh Maru - Credit: Jayesh Maru

He was raising funds in 2009 for Vision Aid to fly out teams of volunteer optometrists and opticians to Third World countries setting up clinics to save people going blind for the want of an operation.

Other big challenges he has taken on in Nepal include Everest basecamp at 17,600ft and Kala Patthar at 18,500ft. Jayesh and his team have already raised £3,570 so far for last month’s Inca Trail trek, but he still hopes to raise mountains of cash with donations to his Just Giving page.

There seems no cap to the heights Jayesh wants to reach in life.