At age 19, Nick Allen started to feel tired. By 25 he was in a mobility scooter with multiple sclerosis.
"I first realised something was wrong when I started losing bladder control. I started wetting my pants which was quite disconcerting," says Mr Allen.
He went downhill very fast; his hands were shaking all the time, he lost control doing simple tasks like typing and struggled to get around outside the house without a mobility scooter.
"I realised I had to make a choice. I had to do something about my condition or I was going to be stuck in the chair for the rest of my life and that was just a horrible thought."
So he forced himself out and decided he would train himself to climb a mountain in the Himalayas.
"It's hard work at altitude. You can only really go as fast as you breathe but I felt like I was sprinting even though I was only really crawling."
Making it to the summit was mind blowing for Mr Allen. He describes the sense of accomplishment as 'astounding'.
One year on from the climb, his body is still recovering and it has set him back two years in terms of strength and stamina.
He's experienced bladder issues and balance problems since the climb, which he says has been discouraging. But the moment of summiting was "so spectacular and I'll have that for the rest of my life so it was worth it."
The climber has now written a book to tell his story and recount his compelling journey.
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