Heatwave Fever: An 18‑Day Journey That Turned Switzerland and Italy into Human Sinks
Imagine embarking on an 18‑day adventure only to find that the heatwave was playing a relentless prank on your travel plans—Swiss and Italian skies shivering at almost 40 °C, making every stop feel like a trip to the planet Mars.
- Almost 40 °C highs that made even the locals look like they’d just walked off a sauna.
- Travelers were sweating out of their shoes on every turn.
- It forced last‑minute itinerary tweaks—think picnic spots replaced by ice‑cream stops.
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Not all roads are created equal. Just ask Ben Spencer and Peter Smorthit.
This July, the two became the first to cross the Alps by wheelchair.
Over 18 days, through searing heat and brutal gradients, the pair pushed themselves 422 kilometres – the equivalent of 10 marathons – from Montreux, on the shores of Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, to Lake Como in Italy.
It didn’t come easy.
Days into the journey, the two faced a steep climb up a gorge. With no accessible path forward, Smorthit – a 33-year-old paraplegic – got out of his chair and dragged himself and his wheelchair more than a kilometre uphill as Spencer followed, moving only a few metres at a time. It took two hours.
“That was just an amazing feat of endurance,” says Spencer over a phone call from a roadside station in France, where the two had stopped on the way back to the UK.
Spencer is adamant that physical pain was a small price to pay for the bigger goal.
The two set off on this Alpine adventure to raise awareness and funds for ataxia, a rare neurological disorder that afflicts 12,500 people in the UK alone – including Spencer.
Ataxia is a cause worth climbing for
Spencer & Smorthit: Turning Wheels into Wonder
What’s an Ataxia?
Ataxia isn’t just one thing—it’s a family of disorders that can wreck your voice, balance, coordination, hearing, and even your bladder. Most of the time, it takes a creeping, relentless toll, and there’s no universal cure on the horizon.
The Tale of Spencer
Since 2022, Spencer’s life has been rewritten by cerebellar ataxia, a nasty cousin of the disease that messes with the cerebellum. His earlier 9‑to‑5 grind has largely been replaced by a wheelchair, plus a bladder that doesn’t always cooperate and a tendency to snap after a quick laugh. Yet his LinkedIn profile still reads like a corporate résumé.
It’s Not All Gloomy
- Wheelchair rugby champ – both Spencer and his buddy Smorthit are dunking hoops in a wheelchair’s most aggressive sport.
- Half marathons, marathons, ultra runs – hundreds of miles logged without a single soaking.
- The Applecross Pass (aka Bealach na Bà) – carved their names into one of Britain’s steepest roads, with 20% gradients and hairpin turns that would scare someone without a steering wheel.
Road Trips that Rocks
- Smorthit solo‑traveled 1,407 kilometres from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, towing a trailer and a standard wheelchair. No detours, just the wind in the hair.
- London Marathon 2024 & 2025 – each time, Spencer turned his stride into a fundraising machine for Ataxia UK.
- Alps 4 Ataxia – tackling Europe’s highest peaks this summer, all while pulling another donation wave.
All of these triumphs surfaced after the first diagnosis that swapped Spencer’s “overworked career guy” status for a fierce, public advocate for people with ataxia—and a broader push for disability rights.
Wheeling Through London Tube
In 2023, the duo dared to navigate every one of the 272 London Tube stations. The goal? Show the map from a wheelchair’s eye, brightening awareness on both ataxia and everyday accessibility. He pointed out, “Only 93 of them get the whole reach.”
He quipped, “When you usually can’t get somewhere, you just go full bluff: fly off the chair, climb up stairs, or yank a wheelchair behind you.” That’s a reality check many never notice until it hits a blind spot. The shock? It’s a wake‑up call that the world could be more accessible—or at least a little less comical‑looking for folks like us.
What it really takes to cross the Alps in a wheelchair
The Alps Rage: An Expedition with a Twist
When two riders set their sights on the Swiss peaks, they didn’t just bring bikes; they brought a whole new kind of endurance test. The mountains offered steeper climbs, sweltering sun—almost 40 °C—and moments that could have turned into full‑blown calamities, all set against scenery that makes your jaw drop.
Planning the Impossible
- Route: A carefully mapped path along EuroVelo cycling lanes and quiet Swiss roads, heading through the Rhône Valley.
- Support crew: Three trusted pals, two of whom also live with ataxia, handled logistics so the two main riders could focus on the climb.
- Timeline: What started as a 10‑ to 12‑day tour stretched out to 18 days because of the relentless heat.
Managing the Heat – A High‑Temperature Tightrope
Ben “Spencer” shares, “Peter’s a true endurance machine, but both of us struggle with temperature regulation. When we hit 40 °C, it’s not just a sweat fest; it’s a potential health crisis.”
Peter, dealing with a spinal cord injury, is prone to autonomic dysreflexia (AD). In the heat, AD can trigger sudden, life‑threatening drops in blood pressure. Once, Ben had to literally throw a bucket of water over Peter’s head to save the day.
These challenges didn’t shade the adventure—on the contrary, they amplified the triumphs.
Moments That Matter
“Reaching the summit of the first pass in Switzerland was proof‑positive that we had what it takes,” Ben reflects. That climb was more than a mountain cleared; it was a mental win against the desert‑like sun, steep gradients, and the persistent hum of ataxia.
Beyond the Road: Conversations and Awareness
Every passerby became an opportunity. Ben used each interaction to break stereotypes: “Techno. Disabled people can conquer peaks and push past the limits. It’s not just a physical challenge; it’s a message.”
The experience taught a vital lesson—disability can be a launchpad, not a barrier. And the trio’s laughter about GPS mishaps and altitude mishaps keeps the story relatable, lest it feel too clinical.
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Quick Takeaways
- Heat can turn an 18‑day bike trip from “peaks” to “perils”.
- Teamwork and planning are essential for those with ataxia and spinal issues.
- Each climb is a chance to rewrite how we view disability and strength.
Now that the Alps are behind them, the real adventure is the newfound confidence and the boost in awareness that rides on reputation beside the bike trail.
A wake-up call for accessibility advocates
The experience exposed gaps in accessibility, too.
“This trip has helped highlight that there’s more work to do to make the world accessible,” he says. Campsites listed as accessible lacked proper facilities, and some cycling routes included long gravel sections and nearly impassable obstacles.
“For wheelchair users to take part in outdoor sports, especially when it comes to going through rugged terrain or the countryside, there’s so much more that can be done.”
And for people living with disabilities like ataxia, travelling the Alps has provided a greater lesson.
“No matter what disability or condition you have,” Spencer says, “just never give up.”
