travel tales

The Grand Canyon is one of Northern America’s most breath-taking natural attractions, but it’s physical challenges proved to be a crucial challenge for one recently disabled man .

From the corner of our camp he shouts at me: “Karen do you have any paper towel?”

I’m on cooking duty, slicing red onions. I glance in his direction.

“Well? Have you?” He speaks aggressively; I sense frustration in his voice.

“The kitchen’s run out,” I reply, “but I have a pack of moist tissues in my dry bag. Will that do?”

He doesn’t look up. He’s too absorbed, bent right over. His kayak lies abandoned at his feet. “Er, shall I get you one?” I ask tentatively.

“Yeah,” he says. “Just get it now. Anything to stem the blood.” More >

Focusing on the lemon yellow and golden hues stretching ahead of him, Keith Jansz sketches busily away. The stunning scenery and spectacular light in the far north of Sweden would be enticing for any artist but, for Keith, being able to capture such grandeur marks an enormous personal milestone.

Forty six-year-old Keith has travelled to Åre, Sweden, with the Back-Up Trust as part of a group of skiers with spinal cord injury. Previously an active skier and snowboarder, Keith thought he would never take to the slopes again when – just months after completing the 1995 London Marathon – he was paralysed from the shoulders down following a car accident. After seven months in the spinal unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Keith returned home to the painful process of adapting to his new situation. Looking back to the despair he felt then about his future, Keith is justifiably elated at his achievements in Sweden, both on and off the slopes. More >

Britain has a great deal to offer but, having never had a family holiday overseas, I knew we were all missing out on something. Thanks to some money left by a distant uncle, I decided to invest in a foreign holiday that would be memorable for all of us – my husband, myself and our children Tom (17), Peter (15) and Rosie (13).

Peter has cerebral palsy; he has no problems with his speech, but no use of his left arm or his legs. As many of you will know just too well, when one of you is a wheelchair user, everything – transport, travel, accommodation, outings  and even deciding how you’re going to spend your time – has to be looked into carefully. Plus, while Peter should feel he’s had a good time, his brother and sister need to feel the holiday isn’t centred around just his needs. It can be hard to juggle!

Having left it all rather late in the day, early ideas of going to Spain, Majorca, Greece or Cyprus were soon dropped as our requirements were either no longer available or too expensive. A complete rethink was called for – which is when Swiss Travel Service came up trumps! Opting for a five day/four night short break, all our arrangements – flights, hotels and rail passes, as well as our all-important questions about wheelchair accessibility – were sorted out within just four days! And the holiday proved to be particularly suitable for someone in a wheelchair. More >