Enjoy Life

Dr Norman Croucher: The toughest summit of them all

Dr Norman Croucher OBE is famous for his mountaineering exploits on artificial legs but hadn't bargained fr the challenge he faced after a bowel cancer diagnosis

When Norman Croucher was a teenager, he lost both legs below the knee in a railway accident. His ambition was to climb mountains and he determined that such a setback would simply make that ambition a greater challenge. Norman, who in 1995 climbed the world's sixth highest mountain, Cho Oyu in Tibet (26,906ft or 8201m), has now survived his most difficult climb of all- from the depths of a life-threatening operation for bowel cancer to the heights of Gaislachkogel in Austria, a 10,000ft peak. At the same time he raised almost £16,000 for Hospiscare in Exeter, where e lives with his beloved wife Judy.

Now aged 77, Norma has consistently beaten the odds by climbing some of the world's highest mountains and, in doing so, he has raised thousands od pounds for charities. He has also set up new charities to help other disables people and to emphasise that the true spirit of mountaineering is not necessarily reaching the summit but in helping others achieve what they thought was beyond them- and always to turn back to aid stricken colleagues.

Norman's achievements have been recognised by the award of the Order of the British Empire and has also been the subject of television's This is Your Life programme. In addition to 'legless mountaineering', Norman takes pride in the fact that he set the record for the longest anyone ever took to walk from John O'Groats to Land's End, which he did in the Eighties and again in 1990.

However, his longest battle began when he was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012 plus a nodule on one lung and a suspicious area on the liver. "On that day," Norman told me, "I began making plans for a survivors' climb in the Alps, as a symbol of recovery. I needed a sense of purpose to drive me physically and psychologically."

He resolved, with the same determination, to raise at least £10,000 for Hospiscare.

"I told myself I would treat the next few months ad an adventure," Norman said, "not one for which I would have volunteered. There would be good times and bad but I was ever conscious of the fortunate time and place in which fate had put me."

On May 30th, 2013, exactly 18 years after he had reached the summit of Cho Oyu, a mask was placed over his face in the operating theatre- iconic because, bu contrast, on that summit day, there was no mask as Norman had climbed without resort to supplementary oxygen.

after a five-hour operation- an elective abdominal-perineal excision and stoma- Norman came to in intensive care with Judy by his side. There were complication, there was pain, there was shock, but the nursing staff showed care beyond the bounds of practical nursing.

On the fifth day, filled with painkiller drugs, Norman was convinced he could see his neighbours' black and white cat, Duffy, sitting on the end of his bed.

"You're a very clever pussycat," he said, "to find the hospital the ward and my bed." "57 bus," replied the cat- and that was the right bus. Hallucinations are common for many patients on drugs but if an (almost) black cat symbolises good fortune, it certainly did in Norman's case, as he survived.

On the tenth or 11th day, a dietitian advised Norman that he had to go on a special diet because he had lost 21 pounds in the week. A quick reassurance bu the patient resolved the problem immediately. "I was weighed last week with my legs on," Norman told her, "and yesterday without them."

After training from a specialist stoma nurse and three pyhsiotherapists, Norman was able to return home. Towards the end of June, the hospital phoned to say that seven lymph nodes had been removed, the surrounding blood vessels were clear and there was no need for further chemotherapy. The lung nodule and liver were unchanged.

After a further fortnight, painkillers became unnecessary. Walking a short distance with crutches, walking further (to the pub), telling fold of his experience, making fun of his condition. "How are things at your end," asked a niece over the phone- and then "oops."

A second operation was necessary as Norman was healing too quickly from the outside, leaving a cavity. It took only 40 minutes this time and Norman was home the next day. A subsequent persistent bad cough turned out to be bronchitis- a diagnosis that Norman was delighted to receive. It meant that he could continue to plan ahead, to resume his after-dinner speaking, to raise more funds for charity and, above all, to detail his challenge of a post-cancer mountain expedition 

Virtually all of is, having suffered serious cancer treatment, living with a colostomy, and being well past the biblical age of three score years and ten, would look to live a quiet and comfortable life with little physical activity. Norman Croucher is not an ordinary person. He is an inspiration to us all. And remember, he has two artificial legs. his determination is boundless and his tenacious ambition was to get back on a mountain.

Wh Judy, he climbed Le Brevent (8284ft or 225m) in the Aiguilles Rouges range in France. "I was back on a mountain." Norman was radiant as he reached the summit. 

"My delight at this modest achievement was as great as any summit I have reached, for I had not been sure how I would perform. Nineteen months after diagnosis I had recovered."

It took until June 2016 to build himself up to a climb above 10,000ft and the heights of Gaislachkogel, but that is what he planned and that is what he achieved. "I now have a more heightened awareness of the awful sufferings in the world. There are scores of afflictions, which are worse than those I have experienced. I rejoice at having been able to turn something negative into a positive experience and to raise money for Hospiscare, with a lot more to come"

Legendary mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington wrote of Norman: "there is no one like him. His extraordinary achievements have earned him a place in climbing history."

And Lord Hunt, he of that memorable 1953 Everest conquest, said simply: "Norman i take my hat off to you".

Choice readers, I believe will collectively do so, too.

What do you think to this? Are you inspired by Norman's story? 

To keep up to date with all the latest from Choice, or if you have something you want to share with our team, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and YouTube

Other stories in Enjoy Life

Summer reads
Latest book reviews May 25
Latest DVD Reviews
April 2025 book reviews
Spring 2025 Book Reviews
Spring 2025 DVDs
March 2025 book reviews
Winter 2025 CDs
Winter books 2025
Winter DVD's
Great Christmas Music Ideas
Christmas books - gift ideas
Autumn Reads
Summer 2024 Books
Summer DVDs
Summer CDs
Latest book reviews
May DVD Reviews
May's book reviews
May's CD reviews
That English Riviera Touch
April's DVD reviews
April's book reviews
April's CD reviews
March's DVD review
March book reviews
March's CD reviews
February's DVDs
February's books
Winter books
January's DVD releases
Christmas book reviews
November DVD reviews
November's Music Reviews
November book reviews
October's DVD reviews
October's New CD releases
October's book reviews
September's DVD Reviews
DVD selection for August 2023
September's book reviews
Latest music reviews August 2023
August Round up
August Paperback Reviews
August hardback book reviews
July 2023 Roundup
Pick of the paperbacks July 2023
July 23 Hardback book reviews
July 2023 DVD releases
July 2023 CD reviews
Pick of the paperbacks June 2023
June DVDs
Hardback book reviews - June 2023
Simon Evans CD Reviews for June 2023
Tesco Summer indoors and out
Book reviews
May 2023 paperback book reviews
May 2023 Hardback book reviews
May's DVD Selection
May's CD selection
Round up of April 2023's book reviews
April 2023 paperback reviews
April 2023 Hardback book reviews
More March 2023 must-reads
March - Pick of the paperbacks
March hardback recommendations
Afternoon Tea
March 2023 - DVD releases
March 2023 Music
February 2023 Books Round up
Pick of the paperbacks - February 2023
Book reviews February 2023
DVD recommendations
February's music reviews
Freedom on two wheels
Make do and mend
Foray into the Fens
Christmas reads
Tasty, healthy recipes by Joanne Wood
Keeping fit and healthy with the Green goddess Part 2
Keeping fit and healthy with the Green goddess Part 1
Finger-licking Good! Tasty Chicken recipes
Beauty: Say 'Allo 'Allo to an alluring look
British Library: Palace of the printed word
Look good and feel great with CBD
Interior design: Inspiration for outdoor spaces
Summer fun at Belvoir Castle
Finding Fitness Starts With Fashion
‘In Vogue’ Veg – Cavolo Nero Sales Grow by 14%
Eat Continental and live longer
A life-affirming book... about death
Get Sewing: Floral bespoke notebook cover
Find your family fortunes... for FREE!
Beauty: Get set for spring...
Spanish Recipes: Small is beautiful
The Vegan Revolution
Interior Design: Maximise your living space
Pets need a spring clean too
Visit Family Tree Live
MasterChef: Classic with a Twist
Get Sewing: Quilted pot-holder
Bob Dylan "Rock and Roll music wasn’t enough for me”
Plant Power Day: 7th March 2019
Interior Design: Less is more in minimalist home
A second chance at love
Interior Design: Great Gatsby Cabinet
The rise and rise of the birthday cake
Walking back to happiness
Baking With Veg
Totally Tina Tour
How to take care of your hair over-50
The nation's most popular cake recipes
Your views: Can you help?
Hail the grandparent aupairs
Beauty: Denise Welch "I love the shape I'm in at 60"
The Austerity Olympics
Healthy reasons to acquire a taste for olives
Grand Treats for Grandchildren
Declutter your home, and clear your mind
Scandi-style Mules for Swollen Feet
Beetroot and Walnut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
In your garden: October
Craft Corner: Sweet Easter Basket
Have your cake and eat your Easter egg too!
Interior Design: Moroccan inspired drawers
BR remembered... 70 years on
A gentleman's guide to spring fashion
Why antique jewellery is glittering
New Year, new beauty habits
Cliff Richard "I have a deeper faith now"
Do you remember? Oliver!
What we really look for in retirement living
Interior Design: Wedding bells on a budget
Counter culture: The revival of the board game
Jodie Whittaker: "Doctor Who is all about change"
85 year old Grandmother gains a PhD
Dame Eileen and a Crowning glory
Writing the story of you life
Why winter shouldn't stop you: don't wait until New Year
World' first 'wellness shed' stirs up mindfulness
Growing old is amazing
Don't miss out on the internet age
Prepare to feel ancient...
Hawks: Up close and personal
Studious retiree heads back to school
Garden Expert: Soaking up the sun
Emily Watson "I'ts such a gypsy life"
Here's to you Mrs Robinson
Brits Embracing 'Urban Birding'
Volunteering for Nature
The Secret to Younger Looking Eyes
Anti-ageing Options Part 2
Anti-ageing Options
End of the road for a pop icon
Reaching out to Dementia Sufferers: Sporting Memories Network
Are you ready for retirement?
Afternoon Tea Recipes
Surprisingly Good Wholegrain Recipes: Savoury
Staying safe in the Summer heat: Drowning prevention
Stardust Memories
Baking made easy
Cooking for one
The real cost of your wine