Before a diagnosis of spinal degeneration took away her ability to walk, Debbie and her husband Andy spent most of their weekends in the hills and dales of Cumbria and the Yorkshire. No longer being able to ramble on her beloved fells was a crushing blow, but she began to explore alternative ways of accessing the countryside, and getting her TerrainHopper, a 4x4 all-terrain wheelchair, was the start of my new adventures.

With this 'serious bit of kit', Debbie and Andy completed several of the Wainwrights in the Lake District, a few Munros in Scotland and a good selection of the Dales 30 - The Yorkshire Dales highest peaks. In 2015 they completed the Coast to Coast, creating their own route from St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay using a mixture of bridleways and quiet country lanes.

Being outdoors once again gave her the drive, the passion, and the determination to become one of the country's leading campaigners for creating a countryside accessible to all.

But in 2021 tragedy hit once again. Andy was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and passed away, aged 56 years old. As a legacy to Andy, Debbie and her family set up a charity called Access the Dales. The charity exists to break down the barriers that prevent people with limited mobility enjoying the great outdoors, either independently or with their friends and family.

As well as running the charity, Debbie is a freelance writer (writing regularly for BBC Countryfile Magazine and author of two books), a keynote speaker and consultant, working closely with organisations such as the YHA, Natural England and RSPB, helping them to make their provision more accessible to more people. She is also an Ordnance Survey Champion, Champion for The Ramblers and was recently appointed by the Cabinet Office as Disability and Access Ambassador for the countryside.

Her motto is 'Making the inaccessible accessible'.

www.access-the-dales.com

www.debbienorth.org

Access Adventure

$40.00