Climbing
Last Friday, 39-year-old Neil Heritage, along with his good friend, Mark Hooke summited one of the most prominent peaks in the Alps – the Matterhorn. Standing at 14,692-feet (4,478 meters) tall, the Matterhorn is one of the highest summits in the Alps.
To summit the Matterhorn is undoubtedly an impressive feat, however, Neil Heritage took it one step further by becoming the first-ever double amputee to summit the famed mountain. Heritage lost both of his legs below the knee while serving in Iraq. Since then, Heritage has made two previous summit attempts on the Matterhorn and has rowed across the Atlantic Ocean.
After two unsuccessful attempts, Hetiage’s perseverance to reach the summit is truly remarkable. Even more remarkable was that through his charity, Climb 2 Recovery, Neil Heritage raised over £6,000 which will aid wounded veterans who are in the process of rehabilitation from life-altering injuries.
Heritage’s summit is an awesome accomplishment and a true display of will-power and dedication. If you would like to donate to Climb 2 Recovery, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/climb-2-recovery
The Matterhorn is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is 4,478 meters (14,692 ft) high, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe.
The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points and are split by the Hörnli, Furggen, Leone/Lion, and Zmutt ridges. The mountain overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais, to the north-east and the Italian town of Breuil-Cervinia in the Aosta Valley to the south. Just east of the Matterhorn is Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its north and south sides, and a trade route since the Roman Era.
