Mountain Climbing Aids Man in Overcoming Grief

Aaron Chadwick, who began mountain hiking with a men’s bereavement support group following his father’s passing, has recounted how ascending some of the world’s tallest mountains assisted him in managing his grief. Mr. Chadwick’s father passed away after an extended period of poor health when Aaron was in his mid-twenties. “That floored me. For a long time I just felt weak and broken,” stated Mr. Chadwick, who resides in Timperley, Greater Manchester. He added, “Every lad grows up seeing their dad as a sort of superhero.” Mr. Chadwick, currently in his thirties, shared that while he holds dear happy childhood memories, he became distressed in his later years witnessing his father’s deterioration after the development of a drinking problem. He explained, “When you’re 13, 14, and you notice that your dad drinks a lot and he’s always in the pub and empty cans everywhere, you think maybe that’s a bit of a problem, but you don’t understand.” Mr. Chadwick continued, “It wasn’t until I got a bit older that I realised that its active addiction and it’s destroying health, both physical and mental, and all the sorts of things that come with that.” As his father’s health worsened, their family life also suffered, leading to his father’s inability to work and a subsequent accumulation of household debt, according to Mr. Chadwick. Despite these challenges, he stated that he successfully maintained his own life’s trajectory, excelling in school and graduating from a leading university. However, following his father’s death, he began to experience difficulties. “Unfortunately I turned to the same kind of methods that my dad had,” he revealed. He elaborated, “I started drinking heavily and I ended up in a pretty bad spot within six months to a year after my dad passed away.” Nevertheless, Mr. Chadwick stated that he soon realized his need for assistance, marking the point where his life began to improve. “I needed to do something and found this charity called Strongmen,” he recounted. Strongmen is a charity focused on aiding men experiencing bereavement through outdoor activities, retreats, and connecting them with support services such as counselling. He confessed, “I was terrified to try to access support but the thing that really made me fill out a form and go for it was that it was in Snowdon.” “The thing that I did with my dad was being in the outdoors and climbing mountains. They are my best memories with him.“ He concluded, “I thought, right, I’ve got to give it a go.” This decision ultimately led him, among other achievements, to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and a sense of finally overcoming his emotional struggles. “For a long time I just felt weak and broken to be honest and mountains feel strong,” he expressed. He further remarked, “Mountains are just amazing things, and to climb one is a big achievement, whether that’s Snowdon or Kilimanjaro.” “Being part of the charity I don’t feel alone anymore. I’m part of a community of people,” he shared. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.