‘Climbing mountains helps me decompress after fighting fires – now I want to be the first to summit Everest in uniform’

A Welsh firefighter who climbs mountains to “decompress” after running into burning buildings is aiming to become the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest in full fire gear.

Rhys Fitzgerald, 28, from Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, has been working as a retained firefighter for the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service for seven years, saying one of his favourite things about tackling blazes for a living is acting as an “inspiration” for the younger generation.

After finding he “always” goes up to the mountains, such as the Brecon Beacons in Wales, to help him unwind from overwhelming calls, Rhys has set his sights on becoming the first person to summit Everest while wearing his uniform and representing the UK Fire Service.

He flew out to Nepal on October 19, donning his fire gear to reach the summit Ama Dablam, a 6,812 metre-tall (22,349 ft) mountain in the Himalayas – which he undertook as a “trial run” for Everest.

It is thought Rhys became the first person to summit the mountain in full fire kit, according to the Himalayan Database, and he is now focused on achieving another record next spring by summiting Everest’s 8,848 metres (29,035 ft) – the equivalent of 680 13-metre ladders from his station.

Rhys has named his challenge Project Fire, which will see him raise money for Mind, The Fire Fighters Charity and the Nimsdai Foundation, the latter of which aims to give back to the mountain communities in Nepal, raising more than £2,500 on his GoFundMe page.

“One of the hardest things about being a firefighter is not being able to switch off sometimes,” Rhys told PA Real Life.

“No matter what time of day or whatever situation, you need to be able to switch on straight away and give every call 100%.

“After certain calls if things are getting a bit too much, I’ve always gone up to the mountains – the Brecon Beacons are an hour away from me – and I’ve used that as a way to decompress, refresh and escape from everything.”

Rhys joined the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service as a retained firefighter seven years ago when he was 21 years old.

He lives “right next to” the fire station, saying he works for the service 24/7 and he could be called to respond to an emergency at any time during the day or night.

“Helping people and being a role model or an inspiration for the younger generation is definitely one thing that motivates me and makes me want to do the best I can,” he said.

On October 19, Rhys travelled solo to Kathmandu, Nepal, spending eight days adjusting to the climate and exploring the area.

His summit of Ama Dablam, the main peak of which is 6,812 metres high – or 524 ladders from his station, acted as a “trial run” for Everest and allowed him to qualify for the bigger challenge next year.

“The scenic views walking up to base camp were insane, it was unreal,” he said.

Rhys undertook the climb in his full fire kit to determine whether he would need to make any adjustments for Everest – although he will have a summit suit underneath his gear for this climb due to the harsher environment.

“I had the leggings, the jacket and tunic as we call it,” he said.

“The fire brigade were worried that the uniform is not really suited to extremely low temperatures so I wore layers, thermals and down gear underneath.”

Rhys added the mobility his gear allowed was not an issue, as those within the fire service are used to being in “difficult situations”, although going to the toilet on the mountain proved tricky.

“We had to fully customise the leggings by cutting holes so I could go without fully exposing my body to the cold temperatures,” he explained.

He was joined by an elite-expert expedition group of around 14 people and they reached the summit of Ama Dablam together on November 8 – 11 hours after they set off from their second camp along the climb.

“Some people gave me a funny look, like ‘what are you doing up this mountain in that gear’ – they were a bit confused but after a while everyone was on board with the project,” he said.

With this climb, it is thought Rhys has become the first person to summit Ama Dablam in full fire kit while representing the UK Fire Service, which he said was a “weird” feeling.

While Rhys returned home to Kidwelly on November 17 and was back on call by 12pm the following Monday, he is looking ahead to early next year for his Everest climb which he will once again undertake in his uniform and which is thought to have never been done before.

He anticipates he will feel “mixed emotions” reaching the Everest summit, saying: “People have told me this is a crazy idea and I shouldn’t do it and I should stop.

“It’s about backing yourself and having that confidence.

“It will be a release of excitement that I’ve managed to achieve something a lot of people think is impossible.”

Throughout his challenge, which he has named Project Fire, Rhys is fundraising to support three charities close to his heart – Mind, the mental health charity, The Fire Fighter’s Charity, which offers support to members of the UK Fire Service and the Nimsdai Foundation, which aims to support Nepalese mountain communities.

To find out more, visit Rhys’ fundraising page at: www.gofundme.com/f/projectfire