Blind buddy is interested in climbing -any advice?

[AR_Guy]

So a buddy of mine who was blinded in a boating accident about a year and a half ago is interested in climbing. He's athletic and still quite active - he still water skis for example.

 

I took him to Stone Gardens yesterday where he did quite well and had a great time on his first time at any climbing (Oh yeah - how about passing on the snarky comments about how pulling plastic isn't climbing). I belayed and coached him on where the holds were, especially for the feet.

 

Anyways - does any one have any actual experience working with blind climbers and if so, what advice could you give? Can any one point me to articles, etc. on the subject? Thanks. I figure on keeping this strictly in the gym for the forseeable future.

[rmncwrtr]

One of the people who posts here is also a guide for TMG and he guided a blind person up Mount Hood. I'm sure I'm mangling the spelling, but his user name is something like sean_beanntan. He might be someone to talk to for advice. Good luck. Your buddy's lucky to have a friend like you!

[Sherri]

Great to hear that your buddy is open to trying out the sport and that you are supporting him in his endeavours.

 

Your question is a good one and a scenario I have often wondered about, as well. I have climbed with a deaf partner before and it is interesting to discover how the loss of a sense changes everything(for both partners). If nothing else, as long as all possible safety precautions are taken, it can be a fantastic growth opportunity, a means for experiencing deeper dimensions of the climbing process(such as intuition and adaptive communication techniques), and, of course, a way to have fun together.

 

Your buddy will no doubt experience the climbs in a different way than a sighted person, but this doesn't imply he will be at a disadvantage. Perhaps his learning process will take a different route(relying on cues other than sight), but in the end he may develop more refined movement than those of us who go about it the old-fashioned way.

 

The "Self-Coached Climber" book includes a drill for climbing blindfolded to enhance our ability to "find center." Here is how it explains the advantage of this drill:

"Climbers tend to rely a great deal on visual input. Eliminating that input will make it easier for you to pay attention to what's happening inside your body, perceive the movement of your joints and muscles, and be aware of the position of your center in space...."

 

Good luck with your efforts and let us know how it goes.

[Sherri]

One of the people who posts here is also a guide for TMG and he guided a blind person up Mount Hood. I'm sure I'm mangling the spelling, but his user name is something like sean_beanntan. He might be someone to talk to for advice. Good luck. Your buddy's lucky to have a friend like you!

 

You are correct on the spelling of that user name, M. (He's on page 11 or 12 of the "S"s in the User List.)

[ivan]

there was that blind guy who climbed everest a few years back - wrote a book about it - Erik Weihenmayer - heard he does more than just snow-slog, maybe you should check out his book?

[Kat_Roslyn]

I don't know about climbing for blind. But there is a good program for nordic skiing called 'ski for light' It is with Son's of Norway. The ranges of blindness vary and there are some good skiiers too. I hear it's a great program, and I'll be able to help out this year too.

[ken4ord]

there was that blind guy who climbed everest a few years back - wrote a book about it - Erik Weihenmayer - heard he does more than just snow-slog, maybe you should check out his book?

 

Yeah that guy lead 5.8/5.9 rock climbs, pretty impressive in my opinion. The gym sounds like a logical place to start, then I would say progress to top roping easy crack climbs, that way there is something to follow with his/her hands. Maybe some ground work so that he/she know what you are talking about when you describe holds they are looking for.

[AlpineK]

While I lived in Colorado I instructed kids with a number of disabilities to ski; some of them were blind. The most important thing a blind skier needs is a sighted buddy to ski with. The sighted guides job is to constantly talk the blind skier through the run(s). The, "guide," tells his buddy when to get off the lift and when to stop. After that you describe which way to ski and when to stop with a general description of the route. When things get tricky the, "guide," skis ahead then talks the blind skier through a section of the run.

 

The whole thing can be fun for both skiers. For the leader coaching blind people down a slope is a lot easier than helping others out with more serious disabilities.

[G-spotter]

Get him Erik Weihenmeyer audiobook and go from there.

[AR_Guy]

Thanks for the input everyone.

 

I'll definately get him the Erik Weihenmeyer audio book.

 

 

[OlympicMtnBoy]

I saw Erik speak some time ago and it was pretty inspiring, not just climbing, but leading rock.

 

Not entirely on topic, but maybe interesting, my plane travel book for the holidays this year was "A Sense of the World" by Jason Roberts. It's about James Holman who was a British sailor in the early 1800s. He went blind in his 20s and proceeded to travel solo around the world becoming one of the most well traveled people of the age. He eventually learned to sort of echo-locate with his walking stick and even to ride a horse, all alone with basically no support (given the historical era). It was an inspiring story and highly recommended for anyone, including your friend.

 

Also mentioned at the end of the book is World Access for the Blind http://www.worldaccessfortheblind.org/ which has more resurces on echolocation for the blind and some stuff about their blind mountain biking team, I think they've done some climbing too.

[EJF]

On a humorous note, check out this short news clip regarding Erik's ascent of Everest: