In his ‘Peaking for Christmas’ challenge, Ed Jackson will use a special Berghaus rucksack and adapted clothing to take the tree to the summit of Mountt Whitney in California, in aid of the Millimetres 2 Mountains Foundation. Ed will be accompanied by fellow climber Ross Stirling and his wife Lois, and aims to finish his climb on Thursday 22 December.
Ed Jackson was a rugby union professional when, in 2017, he fractured multiple vertebrae in his spine. Now a partial quadriplegic, Ed has become a successful outdoor adventurer and uses his challenges to raise money for the charity that he founded, the Millimetres 2 Mountains Foundation (M2M). In December 2021, Ed and Ross Stirling raised funds by carrying a Christmas tree up some of the UK’s highest mountains. With Peaking for Christmas, they have aimed much higher and haver targeted Mount Whitney, which, at 4,421m, is the highest mountain in the contiguous USA. Ed works closely with outdoor firm Berghaus, which has made bespoke adaptations to its high performance kit that allow him to attempt ever more difficult terrain, despite his profound spinal injuries. Ed and Ross will also use a specially altered rucksack that will allow them to climb while carrying the Christmas tree.
M2M recently launched ‘Together Outdoors’, a programme that helps people who have experienced physical or mental trauma to get active in the outdoors. Money raised by Ed, Ross and Lois through Peaking for Christmas will contribute to setting up, supporting and funding groups that deliver Together Outdoors activities in communities across the UK.
Ed Jackson comments: “Last year’s challenge pushed me to my limit, but 12 months on, I have learnt so much more about how high and hard I can climb, despite my quadriplegia. Ross and I are very aware that Mount Whitney is over four times the elevation of the mountains that we carried the Christmas tree up in 2021, so we know this is going to be a really tough trip, but we’re well equipped and determined to succeed. I am living proof that being active in the outdoors is still possible for someone with a spinal injury, and of the huge physical and mental health benefits of that. By raising funds through this challenge, we can help Millimetres 2 Mountains support so many more people who are facing similar issues.”
Donations to Ed Jackson and Ross Stirling’s Peaking for Christmas fundraising can be made at www.justgiving.com/campaign/peakingforchristmas.