10 August 2020
Non-sight 6c trad flash by Jesse Dufton
Jesse Dufton, #4 in the Para World Championship B1 last year, has flashed Forked Lightning Crack E2 (6b+ trad). "Being blind, one of the worst things is fumbling trying to get the right piece of gear in, in the most dangerous positions. Making the transition to the second vertical section was tricky but once done I got a good knee lock to take the weight off my arms. Only problem was I was wearing shorts... ouch..."
(c) Molly Dufton, who comments, "So proud of Jesse. Can you imagine being led to the base of a crag that you can't see (and have never seen), having your hands placed on the rock at the start of a route and setting out into the unknown with only verbal suggestions from your belayer/wife! Forked Lightning Crack is steep, hard and unforgiving. Big gear is weighing him down, it's warm under the sun and he climbs slowly, move by move, unable to plan ahead. The ease at which he led this route was astonishing. Every time I thought this must be the crux, he powered on through. Just wow!"
Jesse train/climbs six times a week although having a full-time job and indoors he has flashed 7a+. "I'm a weekend warrior on the gritstone. I have never repointed a route, my background is very much trad non-sight. I have to do everything by feel or if my belayer, Molly can see something from the ground she uses a radio to tell me, but Molly hasn't climbed the routes beforehand so has no extra beta other than what she can see from the floor. Sometimes it's wrong."
(c) Molly Dufton, who comments, "So proud of Jesse. Can you imagine being led to the base of a crag that you can't see (and have never seen), having your hands placed on the rock at the start of a route and setting out into the unknown with only verbal suggestions from your belayer/wife! Forked Lightning Crack is steep, hard and unforgiving. Big gear is weighing him down, it's warm under the sun and he climbs slowly, move by move, unable to plan ahead. The ease at which he led this route was astonishing. Every time I thought this must be the crux, he powered on through. Just wow!"
Jesse train/climbs six times a week although having a full-time job and indoors he has flashed 7a+. "I'm a weekend warrior on the gritstone. I have never repointed a route, my background is very much trad non-sight. I have to do everything by feel or if my belayer, Molly can see something from the ground she uses a radio to tell me, but Molly hasn't climbed the routes beforehand so has no extra beta other than what she can see from the floor. Sometimes it's wrong."
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Outdoor bouldering isโฆ
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