Do you want to build a snowman?

Forget kids’ movies, the 230-mile Snowman Trek has all the makings of an action-packed Hollywood blockbuster.

The air is crystal clear and the scenery, rising from the lush valleys to the majestic snow-capped Himalayan peaks, is breathtaking. But as well as being beautiful, this vista is also the backdrop to one of the world’s truly great challenges; a demanding and often treacherous 28-day trek that pushes brave adventurers to their physical limits and frays their mental core.

The 230-mile Snowman Trek in Bhutan winds through dry stream beds and scree-covered trails as well as narrow passes that cling to the sides of mountains inches from peril. It is a challenge wrapped in natural beauty but peppered with jeopardy. The trek can only be attempted in a narrow weather window every autumn, and ferocious conditions last year resulted in several teams having to be airlifted to safety.

Each year, more people summit Mount Everest than complete the spectacular but punishing adventure through Bhutan; fewer than 10 people saw success on the Snowman Trek last year compared to Everest’s success rate of 800.

Digging deep in Bhutan

The daunting prospect of an on-the-edge mission proved to be irresistible for below-knee amputees Rich Potter and Rich ‘Dickie’ Davies. The former military men had to delve into the depths of their physical and mental resilience, enduring stomach-emptying sickness and battling near-constant pain during their quest to generate funds for Blesma and the Royal British Legion, and raise awareness of the potential of those living with disability.

The corrosive pressures of walking across inhospitable terrain eventually forced former RAF Corporal Dickie to pull out after 11 days when his stump swelled up so much that it could no longer fit into its socket, but not before he set a world record with his trek partner for becoming the first amputees to complete the Half Snowman Trek.

“I was distraught that I couldn’t finish the trek but it would have been too dangerous to continue,” says 37-year-old Dickie, who suffered a foot injury while serving in Cyprus in 2019 that caused excruciating Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and led to his left leg being amputated below the knee. “Getting to be the first amputee to make the Half Snowman Trek with Rich was something special though.”

Sometimes in life, we need to turn around and take a look at how far we’ve come

Rich Potter

Rich, a former Royal Logistic Corps captain, was forced to take on the second half of the trek on his own. “I watched Dickie limp into camp on Day 11 and knew that he was physically broken. The swelling in his stump had become so severe that he just couldn’t carry on. When he left, it was devastating. It was like someone had removed my other leg! All our training, preparation and planning had been done as a pair.

“Dickie was the best teammate I could have had, his sense of humour and resilience made the first 11 days of the expedition some of the best of my life, and I was crushed when he had to leave.”

Rich, who had his left leg amputated below the knee after sepsis set in following an ankle injury sustained in an Army football match in 2015, continued alone and became the first amputee to finish the full course, adding to the duo’s world record of becoming the first amputees to complete the Half Snowman Trek.

The intrepid pair had spent a year planning and training for the expedition after returning from the 2023 Invictus Games as gold medallists. But despite all the meticulous organising, they had to ditch kilos of gear – including a spare prosthetic leg each – before they could take their first steps on the expedition, which was supported by a team of guides, a cook and 12 horses to carry the group’s tents, food and water to the only resupply point 11 days in.

Taking part was a privilege

Fuelled by calorie-laden breakfasts of eggs, porridge and pancakes, lunches packed full of carbs and vegetables, and substantial evening meals of noodle dishes, momo (steamed filled dumplings) and curries, the small group crossed varying terrains and wild camped in sub-zero temperatures.

“Taking part was a privilege and we count ourselves very lucky to have experienced it,” says Dickie. “The trekking was intense and, as an amputee, you had to keep looking down because the ground was so rocky and uneven, and stray stones caused jarring through our stumps. But when we were able to look up – and when we were resting – we were surrounded by clear blue skies and absolute silence, and we could take in what a magical place Bhutan is. The mountains just rose up either side of us, and it was incredible to be somewhere so remote and disconnected.

“I was an emotional mess when I had to pull out. Mentally, I was not ready to give in, but physically I knew my leg would not allow me to continue –”

we hoped to be, but it’s sometimes a hell of a lot further than where we were days, weeks, months or years ago.

“Walking at very high altitude every day for a month takes a toll on the body. I had blisters on my stump that took weeks to heal, and had recurring gastrointestinal issues that I could not shake. I’m lucky to have had multiple deployments with the Army, and they helped prepare me for how hard it would be to be away from my wife, Ellie, and son, Theo.”

Showing what disabled people can do

Now the pair are back home. Dickie, who has two young children, has turned his focus to archery, having been selected for the Paralympics Pathway programme with the aim of qualifying for either the Los Angeles Games in 2028 or Brisbane in 2032.

Rich, meanwhile, is devoting time to his family. “On a personal note, it is awesome to be the first – and only – amputee to complete the Snowman Trek, but that record is only a piece of paper. Our bigger goal was to empower others and help create change. For many people, their challenge will be much less arduous, but it is so important for people to feel that they can push themselves and go a bit further.

“We wanted to show what disabled people can do. We want to encourage people to face their challenges and to help society realise that disabled people can do both amazing things and normal things,” says Rich. “We could not have done this without Blesma’s support. The reward will be in the people who are empowered by our experience.”