Tag: High Atlas mountains

We are extremely grateful to Phil Oakley for sending us this inspirational report of his latest venture and for the beautiful images. You can see all the pictures he sent in a gallery beneath the story.

Not content with a challenging trip to Borneo earlier in the year, Bader Grant recipient Phil decided to tackle the summit of Jebel Toubkal in Morocco in October. Our congratulations to Phil on another successful personal challenge – he is an inspiration to us all.

Here is the story of his climb:

TREKKING IN MOROCCO

During October 2013 I was doing my biggest mountain challenge since losing my right foot: To summit Jebel Toubkal in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco.  At 4178 (13,671ft), it was the highest mountain I had attempted as an amputee.  When I lost my foot to a very rare type of cancer in 2008, I thought my time in the mountains had come to an end.  My surgeon reassured me hill walking would be possible after amputation, but at the time, I did not believe him.  I suppose it is natural to be a bit negative when told your foot needs to come off!  However, he was right; within five months I was walking up Snowdon.  Since then, I have done many mountain routes and rock climbs in the UK and in Scotland – including winter mountaineering.

I went to Morocco with a small group of teenagers from my school and a friend who runs ‘Outdoor Ambition’.   We hired a Berber mountain guide – with three mules and muleteers to carry our heavy camping kit.  This helps contribute to the local economy as well as getting to know the Berber people and learning more about the area and life in the mountains. It is also a very popular option when trekking in Morocco.  Having the mules meant I did not need to carry a heavy rucksack making the trekking a more pleasurable experience (and relieving the pressure on the stump).   Jebel Toubkal is a very touristy mountain – on that ‘must do before I die’ bucket list – so most people do it ‘in a day’ rather than spend time in the mountains and appreciating the culture and scenery.  Our trip was six days trekking across the mountains before making our ascent of Toubkal.  During these six days, we ascended over 6000m, crossed very rocky terrain, ascended and descended very steep slopes with sheer drops.  The going was difficult – especially with one foot.  The youngsters in our group were certainly challenged, developing their physical and mental stamina, not to forget their appreciation and respect of different cultures and people.

I found the ascents relatively easy: it was the steep descents which caused me the most problems as the foot doesn’t flex for the downhill.  I had to take care, as a stumble could have been potentially serious on the rocky slopes; using walking poles certainly helped with stability.  Day temperatures were in the mid to high twenties.  We would trek for about 5-6 hrs with a leisurely lunch break. Some days we started trekking at 5am to beat the day’s heat.   This also meant we got to our camping area by early afternoon, giving us time to relax and wash in the mountain streams. One of the unusual highlights for the youngsters was using mule-dung for the campfire, as wood was difficult.

Trekking in Morocco provides a fantastic option for those of all abilities. With an experienced Berber guide, suitable routes can be selected, days varied.   Accommodation can be either camping or in Gîtes.  With warm weather and only 3 ½ hours flight, Morocco is a great adventure destination. Moreover, as an amputee, the support of mules with that reassurance of a lift makes trekking more pleasurable.

By Phil Oakley

                 

We are very grateful to Phil Oakley for sending us a report of his recent amazing trip to Borneo with Camps International.

Phil, a lower limb amputee, and Bader Grant recipient, doesn’t let his amputation stop him travelling all over the world. He has already written a report from the Amazonian Rain Forest where he was in July/August last year and is now heading off to Morocco in 2 weeks to climb Jebel Toubkal. He has kindly offered to send us a report of that climb on his – probably exhausted! – return so check in to see it. All at the Douglas Bader Foundation wish Phil the very best of success with this climb – his first since becoming an amputee.

 

The DBF BADER GRANT SCHEME:

Phil is an inspiration in true Bader spirit, which is why the DBF was delighted to be able to help him to achieve his goals with a Bader Grant. We will be expanding our Bader Grant initiative next year so please do contact us if you’d like to apply for a Grant to help you achieve one of your own goals.

 

 BORNEO 2013 – A Report by Phil Oakley

After last year’s adventures in the Amazon rain forest, this year I found myself in Borneo with the charity organisation called Camps International.  I went with four students from my school, who were teamed-up with two others schools.   Camps International provides young people with the opportunity to help with worthwhile projects in various countries around the world. Our projects included helping to complete a community centre in a rural village, laying bricks for a kitchen and toilets (including making the bricks) for a new kindergarten and painting at a new rural school.  A more adventurous project for the teenagers was to spend three nights in the jungle, sleeping in hammocks.  With great anticipation and nervousness, they were taken into the jungle by boat along a crocodile infested river.  After several sightings of crocs lying on the mud banks, everyone was nervous sleeping so close to the river.  But their fears were soon forgotten once they got stuck into the re-forestation project.

 

 

A marine conservation project took the teenagers to the remote island of Mantanani. Here they helped clear the beaches of washed up rubbish, helped educate the locals in marine conservation (as well as themselves), building communal village toilets (with a filtration system) to help prevent human waste ending up in their water source and building a craft shop from washed up water bottles so the locals can sell their crafts to visiting tourists. Some of their time on the island was spent gaining the PADI open water diving qualification. During their dives they found ‘Nemo’ (these are the reefs where this lives) and saw evidence of the very destructive practice of ‘blast fishing’ by some locals.  Being a PADI Advanced diver myself, I dived for the first time without a dry suit.  My fear was that my leg would come off being directly exposed to the sea water.  But, no problem.  It stayed on during each dive, even down to 17 meters (although I had it tied on with chord).

 

During the trip I was very much involved in all the projects.  Initially the Camps International staff didn’t realise I had one foot and assumed I just had a bad knee!  Once they realised, they were impressed with how it didn’t stop me from being a fully able participant. Even the 45 minute daily walk to one of the project sites didn’t cause a problem, despite the numerous students and teachers in other groups who complained and tried to get lifts!

 

I would like to thank the DBF for supporting me on my latest adventure.

 

My next adventure during the October half term will be mountain trekking with some of my students in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountains.  The main objective is to summit Jebel Toubkal.  At 4167m (13,672ft) it is North Africa’s highest peak. This will be my first major peak since becoming an amputee.

 

Phil Oakley

 

[nggallery id=33]