To take on Ben Nevis, the UK's ultimate climb, with its steep gradients, boulders, narrow paths and sheer drops is a major challenge for any UK climber or walker - and if I hadn't done it myself, I would say that it was simply not possible and to even to attempt it would be utter madness; after all, I am totally paralysed from the waist down. The only way I could usually get up Ben Nevis would be if I was carried up on a stretcher or flew up in a helicopter. Two days before the attempt, I learned there had been 5 deaths already this year, on the mountain.
However, when I was offered a ticket to the top in one specially made 'mountain wheelchair', with four puncture proof tyres and five human huskies, I found myself unable to resist the challenge.
Our training in the Lake District and the Pentland Hills had given me a 'mad confidence' that my team - 'Team Burness' could get me up a vertical Rock face if we all put our minds to it.
However, after one hour of 'Ben' climbing over rough ground, rocks and steep slopes in blistering heat and under constant attack from hordes of midges; the sheer scale of the challenge ahead began to sink in. With the prospect of a further 5 hours of heaving, pushing, bumping, lifting and dragging over boulder after boulder, we wondered if our stairway to heaven was turning out to be the stairway of hell!
Moving me up involved three pulling ropes attached to the front of my Chair and two pushing handles on the back. I was aware that my team member's energy was quickly sapped. We sustained injuries - John's shoulder popped with the strain of lifting, Lisa and Rachel's shins were battered and bruised from the metal frame at the front of the chair, the rear wheels of the chair would 'catapult' out egg-sized, razor sharp stones with deadly accuracy into the legs and ankles of Andy, John and James - more blood for midges! Everyone was developing blisters on feet and hands. I had bruises as big as fists in both sides from the wheelchair frame which weren't exactly helping!
We all started to talk about how tough this climb really was and did we think we stood a chance of getting to the top in the allotted 6 hours. At one point, I did think to myself - David, you idiot, what are you doing here, can you trust these people - you have only trained with them for a few weeks? I had read on the web that in 1911, a Model T Ford was driven to the top of the mountain as a publicity stunt. The new papers at the time reported that a false turn of the wheel would mean a fall to certain death for the driver! I knew the feeling - my front wheels slid more than once through loose rock towards the edge of a sheer drop but amazingly my team members would 'shield me' to prevent disaster striking (shielding became my most favourite thing - this is where one team member places their own body between me, my mountain chair and a perilous drop!) - true altruism but still a massive concern for me - if I ever did go over the edge, I would surely take my team mate with me! So, we all had to learn pretty fast what real trust meant and the deathly importance of acting as a unit. My life was in my team's hands. Sounds dramatic? It most certainly was but I was more than confident that those hands were safe..... I had to be.
Then, an odd thing happened. Instead of a collective depression and giving up, our spirits lifted through the roof! This effort and pain was actually enjoyable! It was balanced, if not exceeded, by the experience we were sharing - we were in this together, we were determined, none of us would let the others down, what we were doing was a remarkable thing. We decided that it was very much an example of human spirit that we would beat this mountain - crazy.
We filled our bottles with ice cold mountain spring water, filled our nostrils with the purest of air, blocked out the pain and surged on, revelling in our exertion and the fabulous mountain vista, clear skies and views of the lochs far below us.
Then came my biggest adrenaline rush - being pushed along a stone ledge, balancing on my two inner wheels with my two outer wheels spinning aimlessly over a void at 3500 ft up - this was mountain goat territory and a huge responsibility for my 5 fellow mountaineers who had to maintain balance, their hold on my chair (and their nerves), make perfect foot placements and co-ordinate their every move - team working at the extreme!
After what seemed like an eternity, with my team absolutely pushed to the limit, their muscles aching, lungs working double time to suck out the oxygen from the thin air, we hit the snow line, just below the peak.
Everyone was totally exhausted, knees (or elbows in my case) were shot From the pounding they had taken, lactic was cutting in but completing the task gave us all a new lease of life; supercharged, we almost 'stormed the summit'. It was like being pulled by a team of thoroughbred greyhounds rather than huskies!
For me, reaching the top was a religious-like experience; exhaustion, elation and emotion overtook me - I understood in that instant the derivation of 'Ben Nevis' from the Gaelic, meaning 'Mountain of Heaven'. I sat dumbstruck for an age, wrapped in the warmth of the sun, crystal clear skies and the most awesome of landscapes - I felt truly privileged to be there.
There then followed celebratory shots of whisky, champagne squirting and beer slugging (I had carried up a bottle of 'Tyneside Blonde' and my Burness team members smuggled up the bubbly!) We shovelled sandwiches and Chocolate down our necks like there was no tomorrow and washed it all down with more mountain fresh spring water. Finally, came the obligatory hurling of snow balls and we turned to descend the mountain.
On the way down, ropes were attached to the back of my chair and all five team members were involved in 'slowing me down' for a safe decent. We were quite a sight and a number of climbers and fell runners couldn't quite believe their eyes when they saw us.
It took us 5 hours to get down. The decent for me, was far worse Than the climb. Coming down almost vertically at times, taking my full body weight through my wrists was agony but my team members were great, keeping my spirits up and trying give me the softest ride down that they could. That said, the splendid views on the way down and the tremendous feeling of success made it all worthwhile.
Having taken on and beaten the Ben Nevis, I now realise just how tough a challenge this 'killer climb' actually is. I am so proud of myself, and so proud of my team - the finest bunch of people I could ever wish to meet; likeable people with a 'true grit', determination and friendship. In fact, the word 'fellowship' springs to mind, certainly one worthy of place in a Tolkien script and most definitely a once in a life time experience, one that I will never, ever, forget.
PS - I should also thank Ken Hames, Burness, Scope and Capability Scotland for having the courage of their convictions to go ahead with this fabulous event.