V - The magazine of the VOLLMER Group - 2019

DESIGNING A NEW FUTURE When Hugh Herr designed the first model, he decided against simply copying the human leg. By developing his own prostheses, he wanted to push the boundaries of his own body. The requirements for the new prostheses were high: To be able to climb was the prime objective. In the early 1980s, nobody was thinking about prostheses for extreme sport athletes. So Hugh Herr had to start right from scratch. He researched various materials, shapes and functions. First, he wanted to design the size flexibly so that it would be easier for him to reach hand- and footholds that are far away when climbing: He made his prostheses so that they could be adjusted telescopically. Furthermore, the prostheses needed to not be too heavy. A low total weight was a great advantage to him when climbing. He also tinkered on different end implements that would act as his feet. For example, he developed titanium mandrels for ice climbing or friction soles for granite climbing. Among other things, he made the heels of his prostheses removable so that he could control his balance. Furthermore, he AT JUST EIGHT YEARS OLD Hugh Herr climbed Mount Temple in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. In his youth, he effortlessly conquered challenging routes in Yosemite Valley. Hugh Herr experi- enced the highlight of his climbing career at the start of the 1980s when, as a 17-year-old, he was set to become the best climber in the USA. His extraordinary flair for nature and the balance between body and spirit formed the basis for his unbelievable talent. However, his climbing career looked set to come to a pre- mature end following a climbing trip to Mount Washington in 1982. Along with his friend Jeffrey Batzer, he was caught in a heavy blizzard. Mount Washington is notorious for its extreme weather. The storm, which came on suddenly, forced the young men to descend on the other side of the moun- tain – a route with which they were unfamiliar. As the icy storm intensified, they had no other option but to wait the time out until the storm ended. A professional search party set off under the leadership of Albert Dow but with no success. The young men were only found after three days, when the pilot of a military helicopter spotted them by chance. They were alive, but Hugh Herr had sustained severe frostbite to his feet and lower legs. And not only that – the mountain guide Dow was killed in an avalanche during the search. NO MORE CLIMBING? Hugh Herr came to in the hospital. Six and a half kilo- grams lighter: Both legs had to be amputated below the knee. However, it was the death of Dow – which he viewed as his fault – that weighed much more heavily on his mind than the loss of his legs. The first prosthetics that Herr was given following the amputation only allowed him to walk – and not even par- ticularly naturally. The artificial legs were rigid and stiff, with no sensation. His doctors told him that he would not be able to climb with the prostheses. Hugh Herr's world fell apart at this revelation. The sport had not only been a passion, it had also been the centre of his life. To never climb again, particularly in view of Dow's death, was absolutely unacceptable to Hugh Herr. While still in hospital, the young man resolved that he would climb again one day – and that he would be even better than before. He started by creating his own prostheses. 32 PERSPECTIVES