Blind Adventures: Difficult But Not Impossible

Being blind can make doing outdoor activities difficult. But it does not make them impossible. With the help of sighted guides, I have been able to go kayaking, whitewater rafting, hiking, and rock climbing. Not to mention winter activities, such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Of these, I enjoyed kayaking, rock climbing, and snowshoeing best.

I love to go solo in the kayak. Steering the boat by myself is a liberating experience. I feel so free and in control. The guides play music from their kayaks to guide the group. We can follow them easily and have a great time doing so.

Sometimes, as any kayaker would, I get carried away by the fun. One time on the Columbia River, I paddled too fast and overshot the place where the guides were stationed with their music and missed the turn into a bay. When I realized I was no longer with the group, I had to stop paddling and tried to hug a tree along the bank to keep me in place. The group caught up with me and led me back into the fold.

Oregon is the great outdoors, with so many options it’s hard to know where to begin in praising them.

Another fun outdoor experience I have had is rock climbing in Astoria. Like kayaking, it was exciting to feel such control and freedom without worry. I was cinched up with a harness, ropes, and pulleys. I wore a hard hat. A couple of people at the top of the course guided me over the rock formation, and there was a guide at my side at all times.

They talked me through the process, telling me when to move my right foot up, for example, or when to move my left hand to another grabhold. They led me 30 feet up the rock formation and then back down. It was thrilling and made me feel proud of myself, but also part of a team.

When asked why I wanted to rock climb now that I was blind, something I never did when I was sighted, I said I was never given the chance to try.

In winter, I love snowshoeing for the freedom it gives me, and for the way it gives me a break from my fear of falling. If I fall down, the snow is soft and cushions me. I can feel the beauty of the snowy woods.

Organizations such as the Oral Hull Learning Center, Adventures Without Limits, and the North West Association for Blind Athletes give blind adults these amazing opportunities to push their boundaries. They help us succeed in experiencing all that is possible. Check out these organizations for guided fun and also for volunteering. You will not regret it!

By Rebecca Piros, Beaverton Committee on Aging board member. Learn more about the BCOA at www.BeavertonOregon.gov/BCOA .