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Rob · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 15

I never thought I would see the day that my son climbed a real mountain, but towards the end of May, for some reason, maybe an impulse, more likely a deep-felt belief that the time was right, I thought I would give him the benefit of the doubt. What I learned from the experience was not only that he was much more capable than I thought, but also that I am starting to be ready to enjoy life at a slower pace.

Jo (aged 12) has Down Syndrome. He's always been slow, and has poor balance and motivation to walk. Walking anywhere was usually just a series of slow steps, with frequent rests and distractions. As an experienced and still fairly fit climber in my early fifties, I have always stormed up mountains like there was no tomorrow, and to have to stop every two minutes to let Jo catch up on a simple walk through the woods or to the shops has always been a very painful experience for me. I remember countless short walks when I have held his hand the whole way, exhorted him to make each step, pulled and pushed, totally stressful for both of us.

But with summer coming, perfect weather and the lovely Scottish hills green and beckoning all around us, I decided that it was now or never. Together with my very fit grandson, aged just eight, and armed with a picnic, plenty of waterproofs and warm clothing, we headed off to our nearest proper mountain, Ben Vorlich, a fine peak rising above the ancient town of Stirling in the Trossachs. It's an easy 3,000 foot climb to the summit from beautiful Loch Earn for an experienced walker, the sort of climb up a broad ridge I would normally trot up in an hour and a half. With Jo, it took four hours to get to the summit cairn.

Whilst the day had started bright and sunny, as we rose higher the clouds started to come in, and at the summit it was snowing hard. The conditions were increasingly arctic, and we just plodded on down through the blizzard. Jo needed a lot of help, cajoling and encouragement. His feet were sore and blistered, and he was very tired. The descent took five hours.

I think we both learned a lot about ourselves and about each other that day. I learned to adjust my pace and take on a different mind set. Jo learned that he can achieve almost anything he wants in life, if he is prepared to make the effort. I can see many happy days in the hills in future for both of us.

Pictures are available at: http://www.paperclip.org.uk/kays/jordan_climbing2.htm

Cheers,
Rob