Profile image of Jesse Dufton

    Jesse Dufton

    Climber

    Redefining Limits in Climbing

    After losing his eyesight due to a genetic condition, Jesse has redefined what’s possible in climbing. His journey reflects his motto: "You don’t choose the cards you’re dealt, but you can choose how to play them."

    Jesse Dufton climbing at dusk - GORE-TEX Brand

    The Blind Ascent

    Climbers Tamara Lunger and Jesse Dufton reflect on overcoming adversity and personal tragedy while ascending Norway’s iconic Gausta Falls, building trust and security with every step.

    A Few Minutes with Jesse
    Tell us about Yourself

    I’m Jesse, and I’ve been a climber my whole life. However, my climbing journey changed significantly in my twenties when I lost my eyesight. I have a genetic eye condition that damaged my retinas, leaving me completely blind. I had to re-learn how to lead climb and place gear without my vision. While I wouldn’t say I’ve completely mastered it—there’s always more to learn—I’ve become quite adept. Now, I’m focused on pushing my climbing limits and seeking out the coolest routes I can find.


    What do you love about GORE‑TEX products?

    They’ve kept me warm and dry in some truly inhospitable environments—a winter trip to Greenland stands out in my mind. Thanks to them, I’ve had some incredibly fun days in horrid weather that would otherwise have been cold, wet, and miserable. I can’t imagine ice climbing being enjoyable at all without a GORE‑TEX Brand shell.


    What is your favorite place and why?

    This is so hard, there are so many places I love, it’s tough to pick just one. But if I have to choose, I’d say the Anti-Atlas Mountains in Morocco. There is so much amazing trad climbing there, it’s insane. It’s so good that I’m already looking forward to my third trip. If I keep going back, it’s got to be something special!


    What are your hobbies besides your main passion?

    I love skiing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, even though I don’t get to do them as much as I’d like. I also have a keen interest in science and technology, particularly clean energy innovations. In my day job, I work on hydrogen fuel cells, and in my downtime, I’m a big fan of sci-fi audiobooks.


    What else is on your bucket list?

    I love climbing trips and have a long list of places I’d like to visit. Indian Creek in the U.S. is high on my list—I’ve heard the crack climbing there is incredible. Along the same lines, I’d love to climb in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Closer to home, the uninhabited Scottish island of Pabbay is also near the top of my wish list.


    What is your greatest personal success?

    I think it has to be climbing Forked Lightning Crack, an infamous route in Yorkshire. It holds special meaning for me because it was the first route I climbed after completely losing my eyesight—and it was harder than any climb I’d done before. That experience taught me that my blindness hadn’t set a limit on my climbing—or if it had, I was still far below that ceiling. If I was prepared to put in the effort, I realized I could become an even better climber than I had ever been.


    What are your personal words of wisdom; what would you like to share with the world?

    I always say, “You don’t get to choose the cards you’re dealt, but you can choose how to play them.” It’s particularly relevant to my eyesight since I became blind due to my genetics—clearly not a choice I made or something I could do anything about. However, I did have a choice in how I responded to losing my sight. It was incredibly important to me to find a way to continue climbing, particularly lead climbing. 

    To do that, I had to rely on my strong cards—determination, problem-solving, and resilience—to compensate for the weak card fate dealt me. In my case, my strengths and weaknesses are very obvious and evident, but I believe this analogy applies to everyone. We all have strong and weak cards, and the key is learning to play your strongest ones.


    Which three words describe yourself?

    Determined, mischievous, and chilled.


    What one item should never be missing when you’re on top of a mountain?

    Can I say a sight guide? It’s a person, not a thing, but having someone who can see is pretty important to me—I’d get into all kinds of trouble if left to my own devices, haha. If I had to pick a thing, maybe it would be the radios I usually use to communicate with my climbing partner. 

    Connect with Jesse

     

     

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