Adapted Snowdon – Wheelchair Challenge – Nick Markham, Travel Counsellors
We are very fortunate that we get to be a part of some amazing adventures. Each person has their own story and their own journey and we hope that we do our best to help them along on that journey and make sure that, on the day, they have nothing to think or worry about other than enjoying their adventure and achieving their goal.
We are grateful for every one one of these experiences…
And then there are days like this!
In April this year we got together with our wonderful friends at Reuben’s Retreat and provided two Snowdon Sunrise challenges for them and Travel Counsellors. As a member of Travel Counsellors and supporter of Reuben’s Retreat Nick contacted us to see how he could get involved.
Nick’s aim was to raise awareness of adapted travel and wanted to “prove to others that regardless of their abilities that with the right support team you can achieve your dreams.”
Nick’s goal – to summit Snowdon in his wheelchair!
“When I had this opportunity to climb Snowdon I never gave it a second thought and feel confident that my disability will not be a barrier to achieving this.”
Read more about WHY Nick wanted to take on this challenge here>>>
Nick’s Challenge
We suggested to Nick that rather than join one of the sunrise challenges we should arrange a day just for him and a team that would support and assist him over the more difficult terrain. So on 24th June this year Nick, his specially adapted wheelchair, and his team of 12 supporters arrived in Llanberis nice and early and enthusiastic for the challenge ahead.
Nick’s support team including his wife, Angela, old and new friends, and sponsors Lee from Lee Johnson Fitness (Nick’s personal trainer) and Steph from Care Necessities.
For support and safety their were two Breese Adventures qualified mountain leaders, Jim and Luke, and myself (Tracey).
The team set off really strong. Within no time they had reached the top of the tarmac section on Llanberis Path and we wondered if they were going to be able to keep up that pace… in that heat (it was around 24 degrees all day)… They did!
They reached the summit in just 3 and a half hours! This was mainly down to sheer determination and the best demonstration of teamwork I think I have ever seen.
Nick had been adamant from the start that he would do as much as he possibly could himself and had been training hard for months with his personal trainer , Lee. There were quite a lot of sections where it was just too steep, so taking it in turns Nick’s team pushed, pulled and lifted over the rocky sections.
As we reached the summit Nick and his team had attracted quite a lot of attention and on the final push up the steps a round of applause broke out from everyone on the summit.
A very proud and emotional moment!
After a team meeting it was agreed that it would be a shame for Nick to get all that way and not get to the ‘actual’ summit… the trig point, which sits on a rock another 5-6 metres (and quite a few steps) higher than where we were.
It was agreed that the steps were too narrow to take Nick’s wheelchair so his personal trainer decided to carry Nick up to the highest point in Wales!
Nothing I can say would really do justice to that moment…
What an amazing achievement!
Nick and his team raised over £2000 for Reuben’s Retreat. If you’d like to support Nick and the charity you can visit Nick’s fundraising page.
Reuben’s Retreat is a charity which was born in memory of Reuben Michael Graham who tragically passed away aged 23 months. The primary goal of Reuben’s Retreat is to create a sanctuary that will be a home-from-home for families coping with the serious illness of a child, providing respite breaks and the chance to build happy memories.
Travel Counsellors is an independent travel company with over 1500 Travel Counsellors around the world.
If you’d like to find out more about Travel Counsellors or speak to Nick about adapted travel you can get in touch with him here.
“Thank you for helping me set all this up and making it a day I will never forget, Words cannot describe what it felt like when we reached the top. Our guides Luke & Jim were second to none so helpful and excellent and we couldn’t of asked for a better pair. I know there are no laws to say we couldn’t have gone up on our own, but I am so glad we chose to have Breese Adventures at our side”
Thank you Nick and the whole team for allowing us to be involved in your adventure. I know Luke and Jim both agree that this is one that will always have a special place in our hearts.
If you are thinking of attempting your own ‘Adapted Snowdon’ and would like some advice from us you can contact us here.
Adapted Snowdon team at summit
