Wheelchair user completes solo attempt of Mount Snowdon using all-terrain mobility device

Mental health campaigner and disabled adventurer Nick Wilson has completed a solo attempt of Mount Snowdon ‘unaided’ using an all-terrain mobility chair, RockClimber.

Nick successfully overcame the most challenging of obstacles to reach the highest point of Snowdon ever gained by a wheelchair user without physical support.

His climb aims to raise greater awareness and action towards current accessibility and independence challenges faced by wheelchair users every day, importantly showing how inclusive design and engineering can help to make the world more accessible for everyone, everywhere and positively impact lives.

The RockClimber is a unique all terrain powered mobility chair designed by Rock Engineering (Rock Mobility) in Northamptonshire. The RockClimber is fully customisable and is made to meet the particular demands of each user.

With more than 650,000 registered wheelchair users in the UK, Rock Engineering says there are still barriers in everyday life where wheelchairs are not equipped to tackle different environments, even on the high street.

The project, championed by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), demonstrates how inclusive design and engineering can be used to improve accessibility in urban and rural environments, enabling wheelchair users to have greater independence and freedom without the risk of falling or getting stuck.

The IET’s head of equality, diversity and inclusion, Dr Laura Norton, commented: “We’d like to congratulate Nick and the Rock Engineering team on a fantastic achievement. It’s vital that accessibility is possible for everyone, everywhere – whether on the high street or at the top of a mountain – and engineering and technology can play a huge role in this.

“Inclusive design is really important and project RockClimber has shown just that. We hope this goes as far as to challenge current wheelchair regulations and manufacture so that in future there will be a single-chair solution that will make a fundamental impact to navigating a range of terrains and break down barriers for many more wheelchair users.”

During the final ascent, Nick encountered problems with the steering and increasing chronic pain so, for safety reasons, he made the decision not to push on to the summit on this attempt.

Nick left the army after 14 years of service, with a spinal injury and post-traumatic stress disorder following multiple deployments across the world which left him reliant on using a powerchair.

After documenting his accessibility challenges and his passion for outdoor adventure, Nick was approached by Rock Engineering and lead engineers Elliot Dason-Barber and Andrew Miller. The engineers offered to build Nick a first-of-its-kind power chair to help give him back his freedom and allow him to achieve his goal: to summit Mount Snowdon unassisted.

The RockClimber includes four electric motors enabling 15hp of power; bonded aluminium construction for maximum strength and minimum weight at 210kg; four-wheel drive with variable wheelbase to help with climbing; and a range of 100 miles on flat terrain.

Rock Engineering Director and IET member, Elliot Dason-Barber, added: “Taking on Mount Snowdon with Nick at the controls of RockClimber, is a truly exceptional moment for me and the team. Nearly two years of hard work, by numerous people, has led to this and I would like to thank them all.

“Engineering is all about problem solving and we have the power to use what we have learnt and our journey with Nick to work with the wider industry and professional bodies like the IET to increase inclusive thinking and action. We still have a goal to make it to the summit and I’m determined to get Nick, and RockClimber there.”

Nick concluded: “Being able to get as far as I did completely unaided is all thanks to the team at Rock Engineering producing an incredible, extreme power mobility chair. I’m determined to make it to the summit and with a fantastic engineering team around me developing the solutions, I’ll definitely get there.”

A 20-year-old man with spinal muscular atrophy recently took on Mount Snowdon in an all-terrain powerchair.