Ed Jackson summited the American mountain, almost three times the height of Ben Nevis, in time for Christmas Eve, raising funds for charity
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left to right: Ed and Lois Jackson, Ross Stirling and guide Kurt Wedberg with their Christmas tree on the summit of Thor Peak(Image credit: Berghaus)
left to right: Ed and Lois Jackson, Ross Stirling and guide Kurt Wedberg with their Christmas tree on the summit of Thor Peak
(Image credit: Berghaus)
Not only did Ed, now a partial quadriplegic, complete the arduous winter ascent independently, on his own two feet, but the party also carried a Christmas tree with them to the top. All while raising money for charity, including the foundation Ed founded,Millimetres 2 Mountains(M2M), which provides assistance through adventure to people facing mental health challenges as a result of encountering adversity in their lives.
(Image credit: Berghaus)
(Image credit: Berghaus)
In the end, however, heavy snow conditions forced a change of plan, and they topped out on the spectacular summit of Thor Peak instead.
“We’ve had a brutal, epic few days. I struggle to walk on level concrete at times, so to be able to summit a big mountain in winter is not something I really thought was possible, especially given that we had carried in all of our gear for four days camping while trudging through waste deep snow," said Ed. “Oh, and there was the small matter of Ross having to carry a five foot Christmas tree as well.
“Although snow conditions and time didn’t allow us to reach our ultimate goal of Mount Whitney, it was an amazing experience and I’m so pleased that I got to share it with Lois and Ross, who defies physics at times. I’m hugely grateful to our guides Kurt and Trevor for even entertaining this crazy idea, to Berghaus for making it possible with some amazing kit and the special adaptations for me, and to everyone who has donated to our fundraising. This will help Millimetres 2 Mountains support so many more people who are facing some of the issues that I have experienced since my accident.”
(Image credit: Berghaus)
(Image credit: Berghaus)
On hisInstagram account, where he posted images from the icy summit, Ed said: “There were many moments during this climb that reaching the top looked unlikely. Waist deep in snow, legs in spasm, vision blurring, every cell in my body willing me to give up. But you don’t. You keep going. Because you know that anything worth having in life you have to work for. More than that, it’s the work that gives it all meaning.”
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Ed works closely with British outdoor brandBerghaus, which makes some of the bestboots,backpacksandwaterproof jacketsavailable to outdoor adventurers. Berghaus have made bespoke adaptations to its high-performance kit that allow Ed to attempt ever more technical terrain, despite his profound spinal injuries, and for this specific challenge Ed and Ross used a specially altered Berghaus backpack to climb while carrying the Christmas tree.
Donations to Ed Jackson and Ross Stirling’s Peaking for Christmas fundraising can still be made atwww.justgiving.com/campaign/peakingforchristmas.
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