Eleven blind and visually impaired hikers—including two from Alberta—are preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro next month in a world record attempt that will put ability ahead of disability. Calgary’s Peter Quaiattini and Desi-Rae Dionne from Lacombe are part of a group of Canadians and Americans that will begin their ascent on Oct. 1 on the Lemosho Route, aiming to reach the 5,895-metre summit on Oct. 7. If successful, it would mark the largest blind group to summit Africa’s highest peak and the world’s tallest free-standing mountain. “It’s kind of like the little trip that grew,” Quaiattini said. “We’re the largest group of blind and visually impaired people that are attempting the summit, and given the route we’ve chosen, I expect we will have success.” Quaiattini says the idea first surfaced before the pandemic, when a friend challenged him to take on the mountain. “Back in 2018, my friend Dave Burnett in Toronto said, ‘Hey, Peter, you want to climb Kilimanjaro with me?’ And I rolled my eyes,” he recalled. “But to his credit, he got himself in shape, and then, well, we all know something happened in 2020 and everything went on the back burner.” The spark returned, however, in 2024 after the pair connected with another blind climber who had already summited Kilimanjaro. From there, the vision grew into a movement. “The two of us figured that if we’re going to do it, maybe we should invite some of our other blind and visually impaired friends to join us too,” Quaiattini said. ‘We are capable’ Among those joining the climb is Dionne, who learned about the expedition on social media. “I was scrolling through Facebook last June, and I follow a guy named Erik Weihenmayer. He’s summited all seven summits and is blind,” she said. “He had posted that they were looking for people to go to Kilimanjaro, and that’s been on my bucket list for years. So, I jumped on the opportunity, and here I am.” Dionne has a background in wilderness studies and outdoor adventure. “In high school, I rafted the Grand Canyon, both upper and lower,” she said. “So, I am no stranger to adventure. Kilimanjaro is my highest peak yet to climb.” It’s why Dionne has since put in hours upon hours of training over several months to stay in shape. “I’ve been doing some swimming and biking. I figured the swimming would help with the altitude, and I’ve also been walking the Trans Canada Trail from Lacombe to Blackfalds—about 15 kilometres.” Dionne says the climb is a chance to show the capabilities of the blind community. “It does send the message that ‘we are capable.’ We just do it differently sometimes,” she said. “When you see someone you don’t understand, it’s very easy to judge their capabilities. So, it’s nice to be able to show people it’s possible to do things in spite of differences.” She says reaching the summit will be the realization of a lifelong ambition. “It’ll be kind of a dream come true; something on my bucket list has been scratched off, an accomplishment I’ve always wanted to do for a long time.” Training and teamwork The group of 11 hikers will each have individual guides joining them on the trek. “We take their elbow and they guide us up the mountain,” said visually impaired hiker Tammy Adams from Toronto. “They let us know if there are rocks or roots, and we also have a hiking pole to keep balance. “Your guide isn’t going to tell you every single rock or root. So, you have to make sure you’re lifting up your feet and listening to your guide and the climbers around you. It’s like teamwork.” Adams has been preparing for over a year, combining gym workouts with hikes on the Bruce Trail and Rouge Valley. “I actually run a blind rock climbing chapter here in Toronto,” she said. “The training and preparation for something like this is definitely different. I started by carrying a hiking pack with weight on the treadmill. It’s been quite a journey, for sure, but we couldn’t do it without support.” Guides will usually walk in front with a long stick for the blind or visually impaired individual to hold on to. In some cases, small bells are placed on the guide’s heels. Quaiattini notes that aside from being mentally focused, he’s also had to get in prime physical shape by carrying heavy dumbbells in his backpack during training hikes along with lengthy gym sessions. “So just because one has a disability, one can still imagine that just maybe you can do it. To the sighted community, just because the likes of me can’t see doesn’t mean that I can’t do things that you might not expect,” Quaiattini said. ‘Part of the team’ One of the original organizers, Burnett, will unfortunately not be joining the climb after doctors discovered a heart condition. “When I learned that I wasn’t able to go, it was kind of like those stages of grief with the anger, the denial, the bartering, then you get into the depression and then finally the acceptance that you’re not going,” he said. “It’s really disappointing not being able to do something I’d been planning for years.” Still, Burnett says he takes pride in helping launch the expedition. “If Peter and I hadn’t had this crazy idea, then all of these blind people never would have thought about doing it themselves,” he said. “I think to myself, ‘Hey, I’m part of the team. Sometimes you get injured, but you’ve got a team that’s going out there and they’re going to do it for you.’” A message of inspiration For the climbers, the expedition is about more than reaching the top of Kilimanjaro. “If you think you want to tackle an adventure, or you’ve always wanted to climb a mountain, go for it,” Adams said. “Take the opportunity while you can; you can do it if you really put your mind and heart into it.” Burnett echoed that message, saying, “It’s about dreaming big and wondering whether or not you can do it. The thing is that it’s out there, so just go do it. Find out.” For Dionne, the climb is proof of resilience. “We’ve all been given different cards in life. Some are more fortunate than others, but I think things like this are always still possible,” she said. “It is possible to rise above it and live the way that you would like to live.”
