Cancer survivor becomes first to summit major unclimbed peak despite life-altering surgery

Mick Fowler, 68 from Matlock, was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2017 after noticing blood in his stool and received life-saving surgery at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust shortly after. He has now achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first to summit Yawash Sar, the highest and most spectacular peak in the Khunjerab sub-range of the Karakoram range. Speaking of his initial diagnosis Mick shared:

“I was about to go on a Himalaya climbing trip back in 2017 when I noticed the toilet pan was bright red. I didn’t have any other symptoms so I initially brushed it off as nothing serious and thought I would just continue to monitor it.”

It wasn’t until Mick’s wife, Nicola, insisted that he seek medical advice, and Mick was given the devastating news that he had a squamous cell carcinoma, a type of anal cancer.

Despite undergoing intense radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which initially shrank the tumour, the cancer returned in the summer of 2018. Mick was then transferred to a specialist centre at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield and placed under the care of Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, Mr Paul Skinner. It was here that he was faced with only one option: a life-altering surgery to remove his anus and rectum.

Though the 8-hour operation was successful, Mick had a difficult road to recovery with painful scars and a new lifestyle with a colostomy bag to adjust to.

“At first, seeing the hole in my abdomen was a shock, and dealing with little growths and sore skin around the stoma was difficult. I wanted to make sure the scars healed properly, so I spent ten and a half weeks laying on my back on the settee, researching my next climbing objectives.”

Mick was keen to get back to his usual active lifestyle and by November 2018, only three-months later, was running a fell race across the hills of Derbyshire. He’d also planned for his next climb in the Himalaya in April 2019.

This year, Mick reached another incredible milestone. On 14th September 2024, he and his climbing partner, Victor Saunders, 74, became the first to summit Yawash Sar in Pakistan. In a 7-day push from base camp they reached the 20,531ft (6,258m) peak in an extremely challenging mountaineering feat. Reflecting on his experience, now living with a colostomy bag, Mick shared:

"The type of climbing I do is usually very steep, and sometimes it puts me in awkward positions where I have to sleep on a bum ledge cut out of the ice or hang in a harness overnight. Even normal sitting down can be uncomfortable, so dealing with that constant discomfort while sitting on a mountain ledge can get excruciating. But the stoma itself has been brilliant."

Mick’s journey didn’t just stop at climbing. In addition to his physical achievements, he has become a powerful advocate for others living with a stoma. He now acts as an ambassador, helping reassure others about life after surgery and sharing his experiences with people who may be concerned about their own medical procedures.

"A lot of people in the outdoor community, especially those about to have stomas, have contacted me. I think they find it reassuring when I tell them that they can still do what they love.”

Mick is now researching his next mountain to climb and expressed his gratitude for the care he received at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:

"I’m still here and still active, and I can't thank Mr. Skinner and the team at the hospital enough. After being diagnosed with cancer, I thought my luck had run out, but now, I finally feel like I’m back to being lucky again."

Mr Paul Skinner, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“It is fantastic to hear that Mr Fowler is back to his usual active lifestyle and achieving such remarkable feats. The surgery was a complex procedure that required careful planning and collaboration between our colorectal and plastic surgeons, anaesthesia, and ward teams. We paid special attention to the placement of his stoma to ensure that he could still wear his climbing harness comfortably. It was a true team effort and it’s incredibly rewarding to see Mr Fowler continue to pursue his passions.”