The Associated Press
Frank Jordans
BERLIN—A British mountaineer who climbed Switzerland’s iconic Matterhorn says he is the first quadruple amputee to do so.
The claim couldn’t be verified with certainty, but was backed by the warden of the Hoernli Hut base camp, who said he knew of nobody else who’d achieved the feat.
Jamie Andrew lost his hands and feet to frostbite after becoming trapped in a snowstorm while mountaineering in France 17 years ago.
He spent five years training before attempting to reach the 4,478-meter (14,692-feet) Alpine peak last Thursday with two seasoned guides from the International School of Mountaineering.
“In the end, climbing the mountain was the easy bit. It was all the graft and preparation, and trial and error (that was hardest)” Andrew said.
Andrew had to learn to walk again and eventually took up skiing and long-distance running before returning to his first passion, mountaineering.
With the help of robust prostheses and specially adapted poles he was able to ascend much of the way toward the peak.
