Former Royal Air Force Association employee Steph Sutcliffe (27) walked 100km across the desert to Marrakech.

She joined three other women from the charity and four RAF personnel in the Herculean effort in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for the association.

Steph said: "I think everyone on the trek was fighting their own battle and had gone along with the object of achieving that. But I for one never anticipated not only how physically challenging but emotionally difficult I would find it."

The group set off on Friday, November 2 across the vast desert arriving in Marrakech 100km and five days later.

On the way they were subjected to temperatures pushing 50 degrees celsius, resulting in the tint on Steph's sunglasses cracking.

They also endured freezing nights, nose bleeds caused by the sand and desert mirages.

On one evening Steph and another trekker Rachael Snutch, decided to sleep under the stars but were disturbed while they slept.

After eventually waking, the terrified pair clung to each other while arguing over who should switch on the torch,only to find a herd of donkeys.

On another occasion the expedition had to climb Chagaga, the largest sand dune in the area.

Steph said: "The sand is fine and powdery so you are breathing it in all the time and if you stop you just sink. By the time we got to the top it was like being in the middle of a sandstorm and you're gasping for breath because your body has worked so hard to get you there."

But despite the hardships the trip was worthwhile and Steph already has plans to do something similar next year - this time to raise money for her daughter's primary school.

She said: "For all the hum drum and normality we complain about behind our office desks we really do very little for a living. Some of the people out there carried everything they needed and owned on their backs and part of me can't help but envy the simplicity of that."

In total the group raised about £14,000 towards RAFA.