Mastering Mountains is Making the Outdoors Accessible to People With Neurological Disorders

Mastering Mountains helped remove the barriers for three people this year to achieve their wildest outdoor goals. Explorer Brooke spoke to the co-founder to learn more about their incredible work.

Mastering Mountains’ mission is simple yet life-changing: to empower people with neurological conditions to achieve their outdoor goals. I sat down with co-founder Nick Allen to discover how the 2024 Explore Fund grant from The North Face will help them achieve even more impact.

Brooke Nolan: Tell us about Mastering Mountains and its mission.

Nick Allen: Mastering Mountains is a charitable trust in New Zealand dedicated to helping people with neurological conditions, particularly multiple sclerosis (MS) and functional neurological disorder (FND), achieve their outdoor adventure goals.

There’s a big difference between being able to get in and out of the car by yourself and going out for a hike or a bike ride. The healthcare system often stops at the basic level of functioning, and that’s where we step in. We help people achieve the outdoor objectives that are important to them.

This usually includes a year of physical rehabilitation, mentoring, and any necessary outdoor gear or equipment to make the adventure possible. Our ultimate goal is not only to help people achieve their outdoor objectives but to develop the tools they need for long-term access to the outdoors.

What inspired you to start Mastering Mountains?

My journey with neurological issues began when I was about 19. By the time I was 21, I experienced a massive relapse that completely changed my life. Before that, climbing was my passion— I also spent a lot of time hiking and was incredibly fit, cycling about 400 to 500 kilometres each week.

Then one day, I cycled to work but felt off. I had to call someone to pick me up, and as soon as I got home, I went straight to bed, feeling completely drained. The next morning, I woke up struggling to do even the simplest tasks, like showering.

By 25, I was diagnosed with MS (a diagnosis that was later changed to FND). The prognosis was pretty brutal. I was told I would completely lose my ability to walk, and there was nothing I could do about it.

But my Mum wasn’t satisfied with that [go Mum!]. She did a whole bunch of research, connected me with the MS Society, and that’s where my journey to rehabilitation really began.

Eventually, I went from needing a mobility scooter to attempting two 6,000-metre peaks in the Himalayas, including a successful summit of Island Peak in Nepal. This made me realise that I wanted to help others facing similar challenges.

Mastering Mountains is helping Michelle take on a mountaineering expedition

Who are some of the grant recipients Mastering Mountains has helped in the past?

One of the most rewarding aspects of this work is seeing people achieve things they never thought possible. I remember one participant from 2019, Katy, who could walk about an hour at a time without a backpack, but not on unpaved surfaces.

After 18 months of rehab, she climbed the Minarets, a technical 3,000-metre peak. Seeing that transformation is just incredible.

Another recipient, David, was a mad-keen mountain biker before diagnosis but then lost a lot of strength in his leg and could no longer cycle with his son or his mates. He lost a lot of his community. We funded his rehabilitation and also contributed towards the purchase of an electric mountain bike.

It’s often about finding workarounds. Life might look different, but there are usually ways around most problems.

Read more: Adaptive Surfing is One Sport You Won’t See at The Paralympics – Yet

You mentioned loss of community, is that something that’s common?

Absolutely; it’s something so many grant applicants and recipients speak about.

That’s because for many, outdoorsiness is such a part of our identity. When that’s taken away, you lose a big part of who you are.

But you also lose access to your community because so much of that connection happens outdoors. It’s a double whammy — you lose your sense of self and your sense of belonging.

There’s this growing research around the benefits for everybody for getting outdoors and in the context of disability especially, I feel like – far out – we should be taking people outdoors by the busload because it’s just such a positive thing. Even a 10-minute walk, to get into a quiet space and to just be in nature, is a really positive thing, at a biological level.

Mastering Mountains is helping Jodie go on a four-day cycling trip on the Hunua Traverse

How has The North Face Explore Fund Grant impacted Mastering Mountains?

The North Face Explore Fund Grant has been enormous for us. It’s funded this year’s grant recipients and allowed us to purchase some essential technical equipment.

Thanks to the grant, Jodie Leqeta is planning an epic four-day adventure with family and friends, including bikepacking the Hunua Traverse and Hauraki Rail Trail, finishing with a hike on the Wairere Falls Track.

Michelle Grant from Nelson plans to develop her mountaineering skills through an intermediate mountaineering course and avalanche awareness course, followed by smaller mountaineering trips.

And finally, Stephanie Nierstenhoefer from Titirangi, West Auckland, will be hiking the Milford Track, part of a challenge to walk all of New Zealand’s Great Walks, which was put on hold after her MS diagnosis.

In her grant application she said: ‘My main goals for this adventure go beyond merely reaching a physical destination. This hike is about reclaiming my life, redefining what is possible for me, and demonstrating that a diagnosis of MS does not signify the end of an active, adventurous life.’

With the addition of these three people, we’ll have supported 16 people in total through Mastering Mountains since it was founded.

That’s 16 more people who get to connect with the outdoors! 😍

What’s next?

Raising awareness about FND is a key area of focus for us, as it’s a condition that’s often misunderstood and traditionally very stigmatised. There’s no support groups in New Zealand and so far we’ve had one grant recipient with FND. We’d like to support more.

How can people get involved or support Mastering Mountains?

While financial donations are always welcome, I’d love to see more people learn about FND, MS and other conditions like chronic fatigue. And remember that sometimes, just prioritising a cup of coffee with a friend who can’t join you on a hike or adventure can make a world of difference.

Given the world of difference Nick and the team at Mastering Mountains are making, I think that’s the least we can do.

Educational Resources

• Learn more about FND
• Learn more about MS