Wheelchair user takes on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) 'unaided' thanks to engineering team's first-of-its-kind power mobility chair.

Wednesday, 5 June, Llanberis, north Wales:

It is a damp, rain-threatened grey morning in the north Wales village of Llanberis, at the foot of Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon), the highest peak in England and Wales. Mental health campaigner and disabled adventurer Nick Wilson is about to attempt the arduous climb to the summit - using a unique, tailor-made powered mobility chair - the RockClimber.

He is determined to become the first disabled person to reach the top of Yr Wyddfa unaided. The importance of this word, 'unaided,' will become clear later on.

Climbing, the Rock Engineering way

The team at Rock Engineering has boosted Nick's attempt on Yr Wyddfa. Their extensive experience in motorsport design helped create this new concept power chair.
The RockClimber includes 4x electric motors enabling 15Hp of power; bonded aluminium construction for maximum strength and minimum weight (210kg); 4-wheel drive with variable wheelbase to help with climbing; and a range of a hundred miles on flat terrain. 

The project, championed by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), proves inclusive design and engineering can be used to enhance accessibility in urban and rural environments. This can enable people reliant on wheelchairs to have greater independence and freedom without the risk of falling or getting stuck. There are 650,000 registered wheelchair users in the UK (NHS National Wheelchair Data Collection). There are still barriers in everyday life where wheelchairs are not equipped to tackle different environments, even on the high street.   

As Nick and the RockClimber drove into the wilder countryside of Eryri (Snowdonia), the views became ever more spectacular. At first, the pathways ran smoothly up the mountainside. 

Nick and RockClimber on Yr Wyddfa, 12 July 2024. Source: Rock Engineering

Difficult paths, big boulders

These dirt tracks eventually gave way to smoother, flat-stone surfaced pathways, which don't present much difficulty for Nick and the RockClimber. Further on, with Llyn Llydaw receding in the background, these give way to boulder-strewn tracks that could prove hazardous, even to able-bodied walkers. Although Nick is riding in a four-wheel drive power-chair, the large stones protruding from the ground present a challenge, which the specially designed power-chair appears able to match, at first.

Trouble appeared in the form of three large, loose boulders. In Nick's own words:

"It was wet, it was raining, um, there was an incredibly difficult part, and I was navigating going over them. There were three massive loose boulders, and the wheels slipped. I put on too much power, and we snapped the steering. The guys from Rock Engineering they're going to, um, shoot back they're getting parts made at the moment and we'll go again tomorrow."

Disappointing for everyone, especially Nick, although tomorrow is another day.

On Day Two

It's a drier, less grey North Wales morning, and Nick is visibly struggling. In pain and emotions making themselves felt, he's still determined to reach the peak.

Asked how he felt that morning, Nick said, 'It's pretty bad pain today, and emotions are quite high, um, but you got to keep going, and that's what we're going to do.' Adding, "I'm confident in the chair, not so confident in myself, but I'll do it, I'll give it a go, that's what I can do.'

As he powers along familiar, ever steeper, boulder-strewn tracks, we can see how arduous this part of the hike is. The wheels sometimes struggle with – and sometimes slip on - large, loose stones and rocks. The obstacles have a near-vertical face in places, but Nick and his aptly named RockClimber get past them. On he goes, with well-wishers waving and the Snowdon train honking their best encouragement.

The hardest part is often when everything is going well and the end is in sight. At this point, Nick comes to a stop.

Unaided means unaided

The power chair picked up some damage that made it impossible to continue unaided.

Nick clearly has had a tough journey on this second day of his adventure.

Visibly wrestling with emotions and disappointment, Nick said, "I've been really struggling with pain in my wrist, and we, frustratingly, actually got to the top of the most difficult part, and then we had another issue - literally ten feet from the end. I wanted to go on, but the team have called safety reasons."

The main point was this, "for us to go on, they would have to help me control it, and this is about being unaided. So, integrity, doing the right thing the right way - we're told we can't go on."

It might appear to be the end, but it clearly is not for Nick.

Breathing space

Back in Llanberis, with a little time to think on it and get down safely, Nick was more upbeat and able to put that day's events into perspective. He said, "Made it back unaided with a broken steering, but we still made it back ourselves, and I'm the first disabled person to complete all the big obstacles and to get so far. And that was unaided. To carry on would be aided, and that wasn't what this was all about. We've got further than anyone else has done before unaided."

Later on, away from the cameras, Nick pointed out, "the last time I came up Yr Wyddfa I was still in the Army, the fittest I had ever been in my life, and I wasn't in a chair. I have overcome so much, including learning to manage suicidal thoughts brought on by isolation and loneliness, adapting to becoming disabled and creating a new life focusing on what I'm passionate about – ensuring that everyone has the same access and freedom to explore our world."

Nick Wilson, Yr Wyddfa, 12 July, 2024 Source: Rock Engineering

It's teamwork

He also thanked the people who made so much of this possible - the engineers.

"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."

Judging by what has happened and how he has coped with it, physically and mentally, it's a good bet that Nick will be back to have another go.

You can also see Nick make the attempt on Yr Wyddfa with the RockClimber below: 

What else can be done to help people with disabilities go anywhere (really anywhere) they want to?