Spinal cord injury survivor becomes first in world to reach mountain peak

A quadriplegic former rugby player has become the first person to successfully ascend a previously unclimbed 4,720m (15,485ft) peak in Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan mountains.

Ed Jackson, 36, reached the summit on Saturday after two years of planning with a small team and a demanding climb over glacial terrain, steep ice and a rock climbing summit.

The ex-Doncaster Knights, Bath and Wasps player broke his neck eight years ago when he dived into a shallow pool, sustaining a severe spinal cord injury – damage to the nerves that carry signals between the brain and body.

Doctors warned he might never walk again, but Jackson regained mobility and has since trained with specialists to pursue mountaineering.

The expedition involved setting up a remote advanced base camp with help from local nomadic shepherds before tackling the ascent, which included glacial crossings, steep ice walls and a final rock section to the summit.

Jackson said: “I’ve been working towards this for so long, and for it to finally come to fruition feels incredible.

“The climb was far more technical and demanding than I could ever have imagined, and it took absolutely everything to reach the top.

“There were moments I doubted whether my body could do it but I wasn’t climbing alone.”

Jackson, who founded the Millimetres to Mountains Foundation (M2M) to help people overcome adversity through outdoor challenges, dedicated the climb both to the charity’s beneficiaries and to CDI Children at Risk, a local Kyrgyz organization supporting children.