Jamie Andrew - Amazing and strong disabled mountaineer!

I have also heard of Jamie Andrew whose limbs were lost during his climbing in Alps. He is really an incredible idol for me to set an example that he follows his dream despite his handicaps.

Jamie Andrew, the incredible mountaineer who lost his hands and feet in a horrific accident in the French Alps. Miraculously, despite his handicap, Jamie has carried on with his mountaineering career and has made some amazing ascents all over the world, raising many thousands of pounds for charity along the way.

A little story of Jamie Andrews

My great passion in life has always been mountaineering. At the height of my climbing career, tragedy struck unexpectedly when my climbing partner and myself where caught for five days in a terrible storm after completing the North Face of Les Droites in the French Alps. The ensuing helicopter rescue was one of the most spectacular in the history of the Alps and made news headlines around the world. Unfortunately the rescue came too late for my partner Jamie Fisher but I survived despite severe frostbite and hypothermia. Later in hospital, all of my hands and feet had to be amputated.

After my accident I made a surprisingly swift recovery, the story of which has been described by many as inspirational. Within three and a half months I had learnt to walk on prosthetic legs and had sufficiently re-learnt everday tasks such as washing, dressing and feeding to be able to leave hospital. Immediately I returned to full time work as a manager for the same rope access company I had worked for before and was soon considered a valuable and fully productive member of the management team. In June 2000 my long term partner, Anna Wyatt and I were married.

Jamie's Story

My great passion in life has always been mountaineering. At the height of my climbing career, tragedy struck unexpectedly when my climbing partner and myself where caught for five days in a terrible storm after completing the North Face of Les Droites in the French Alps. The ensuing helicopter rescue was one of the most spectacular in the history of the Alps and made news headlines around the world. Unfortunately the rescue came too late for my partner Jamie Fisher but I survived despite severe frostbite and hypothermia. Later in hospital, all of my hands and feet had to be amputated.

Sporting Achievements

Since the accident I have participated in many sporting activities including swimming, running, skiing, snow-boarding, paragliding, caving, orienteering and sailing. But it was returning to mountaineering that was to provide the greatest goal and the biggest challenge.

In June 2000 I climbed Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, raising over £15,000 for charity in the process. A 30 minute documentary, called Climb Back, was made of this ascent, screened on BBC Scotland and featured at the Kendal Mountaineering Film Festival.

I've also returned to active rock climbing and ice climbing. In May 2001 he returned to Chamonix, and with one of his doctors and his rescuers, he climbed the Cosmiques Arete on L’Aiguille du Midi, subject of a 50 minute documentary for French television called Le Defi de Jamie, broadcast on France 3 and winner of several film festival awards.

In April 2002 I ran the London Marathon, raising over £22,000 for charity on the way. I've returned to the Alps several times in 2002 and climbed several mountains including Mont Blanc du Tacul (4200m) and The Monch (4099m). I also made an attempt on Mont Blanc (4800m), Western Europe’s highest mountain, but was forced to turn back just 300m below the summit due to closing bad weather.

In January 2004, with three other disabled mountaineers made an all-disabled ascent of Kilimajaro (5895m), the highest mountain in Africa. The ascent raised over £5,000 for a Tanzanian leprosy centre situated on the slopes of the mountain.