Amputee conquers 4,478 m peak

Despite losing both arms and legs, a British climber created a miracle when he successfully conquered a Swiss mountain peak thousands of meters high.

Jamie Andrew (right) and Steve James (companion) stand on top of the Matterhorn, Switzerland. Photo: AP.

According toGuardian, Jamie Andrew became the first British amputee to successfully conquer the 4,478-meter-high Matterhorn in Switzerland on August 4. The 47-year-old climber spent five years training before achieving this feat with two professional guides.

"I have never seen a person who lost all his limbs do this. It is a mistake to think that climbing the Matterhorn is easy even for normal people," said mountain guide Kurt Lauber.

It took Andrew about 13 hours to reach the top of the Matterhorn and back to base camp, five hours longer than the average climber. However, Mr. Lauber was very impressed with Andrew's achievement.

The group climbed in bad weather conditions, only reaching camp at 7pm and almost missing. That day, two other Britons climbing the Matterhorn from the Italian side died.

“In the end, climbing the mountain wasn’t that difficult. It was a result of hard work, preparation, and mistakes,” Andrew said.

Andrew lost his arms and legs after being caught in a blizzard while climbing in France 17 years ago. He learned to walk before returning to his passion for climbing, then moved on to skiing and long-distance running.

Andrew is able to conquer many peaks with the help of prosthetic limbs. He uses his good arm to hold the rope while climbing.

The Matterhorn is a famous mountain peak in the Alps, located on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It is also the conquest goal of many mountain climbing enthusiasts.

According to VNE