Berghaus aims to make the outdoors accessible for all
01/12/2021
Following the successful launch of Berghaus Adapts at Kendal Mountain Festival involving partial quadriplegic Ed Jackson (pictured), the UK brand has released details of its plans for how the initiative will help more people access the outdoors.
Ed Jackson is a former professional rugby union player who, in 2017, fractured multiple vertebrae in his spine. Doctors warned that he may never walk again. Already a very keen outdoor enthusiast, Ed has since returned to the mountains time and again.
With support from fellow Berghaus ambassador Leo Houlding, Ed was able to climb two 4,000m Alpine peaks earlier this year and now has his sights set on even more ambitious objectives.
In preparation for the climb, Berghaus worked with Ed and made a number of kit adaptations to overcome some of his medical and mobility barriers, and enable him to continue his adventures in the mountains.
Mr Jackson said: “I never thought it would be possible to take on these sort of climbs and I know many others who face similar barriers to me would feel the same. My goal for this expedition was to inspire others to get outdoors, to challenge themselves and to show that adventure can be accessible for everyone.”
Berghaus is now working with Millimetres 2 Mountains (M2M), a charity that Ed founded, to make more bespoke adaptations to kit.
Three M2M beneficiaries joined Ed and his wife Lois for a visit to the Berghaus HQ in Sunderland, where they met with the product team in the company’s sample room to discuss, and work on, adjustments to gear based on their specific needs, which will allow them to continue their adventures in the hills and mountains.
Meanwhile, Berghaus continues to work on kit for the M2M beneficiaries who visited the office and plans to extend the reach of Berghaus Adapts, empowering people who want to access the outdoors.
Share this story:
