Jesse Dufton Explained

Nationality:	British
Typeofclimber:	Mountaineering, Paraclimbing
Knownfor:	First blind climber to lead an ascent on Old Man of Hoy

Jesse Dufton is a British mountaineer, paraclimber and member of the Great Britain paraclimbing team since 2017.^[1] In 2019, Dufton became the first blind climber to lead an ascent on Old Man of Hoy in the Orkney Islands.^[2] The climb, and Dufton's story, were the subject of the 2020 film Climbing Blind.^{[3] [4]} Dufton has rod-cone dystrophy; he was born with 20% central vision which has deteriorated to 1% today.^[5]

Notes and References

1. News: 'For me, climbing is safer than crossing the road': Meet the blind rock climber pushing the boundaries of what you can do without sight . . Boudicca Fox-Leonard . 14 October 2019 . 4 July 2023.
2. News: Blind climber leads an ascent of the Old Man of Hoy . . 6 June 2019 . 4 July 2023.
3. Web site: Climbing Blind, review: an uplifting portrait of a man who won’t be held down . . Michael Hogan . 20 May 2020 . 4 July 2023.
4. Web site: Climbing Blind review – a tale of tenacity, adaptation and hope . . Rebecca Nicholson . 20 May 2020 . 4 July 2023.
5. News: Blind climber Jesse Dufton pushing boundaries after leading 449-foot climb . Ben Morse . . 4 December 2019 . 4 July 2023.