2005 Newsletters
No Barriers/Dolomiti
Apr 27th, 2005No Barriers/Dolomiti
This July, Mark Wellman, the first paraplegic to climb El Capitan; Hugh Herr, a double-leg amputee who has put up first ascents on world class rock faces; and I have organized No Barriers/Dolomiti, a non-profit outdoor festival designed to blast open the doors of opportunity for disabled people. Held in Cortina, Italy, in the heart of the Dolomites, the project stems from our belief that the beautiful open spaces of the world aren?t just for elite athletes, but for every person, regardless of age, physical ability...or disability. No Barriers/Dolomiti is for anyone who dreams big and craves a life of innovation and adventure.
Last summer?s festival, the first of its kind, was an outstanding beginning, with 500 disabled outdoor enthusiasts, family members, disability-related professionals, and sponsors gathered from around Europe and America taking part. This summer's festival will be even bigger, with a wider variety of clinics and demonstrations, and a greater worldwide presence. Cortina provides a spectacular and awe-inspiring environment for this educational event.
No Barriers/Dolomiti will include inspiring presentations from disabled athletes, a technology symposium, and an equipment fair. Scientists, researchers, and athletes will showcase the latest prosthetic limbs, wheel chairs, and climbing and hiking tools. Speakers will present on the future of technology for disabled people.
Most exciting will be the outdoor clinics on rock climbing and hand cycling for paraplegics and quadraplegics, and trekking clinics, led by me, for blind and visually impaired people. Envision paraplegics learning to do pull-ups up a rock face, quadraplegics screaming down a mountain trail on hand cycles, and blind people trekking over rugged mountain passes.
We will end this year's festival with a dramatic climb of a major Dolomite rock face by a fully disabled, unsupported climbing team - Hugh Herr, who runs Harvard's prosthetic leg institute; Andy Holzer, a blind climber from Austria whom I met during last year's festivities; and myself. This demonstration of the power of a disabled team will be a major media focus. The chosen climb is a Dolomite test piece: the Tofana?s Pilastro Route - 15 pitches and one of the Dolomites' most classic and difficult ascents.
No Barriers/Dolomiti 2004 received impressive media coverage from European TV, newspapers and magazines, and this year we expect broader European and U.S. attention. While the festival?s focus is accessibility and opportunity for people with disabilities, like last year, it is really for all people, no matter what their backgrounds, circumstances, challenges and ability levels. In the next month, we will have available a full schedule of events. Please join us in the Dolomites this July. To learn more, e-mail Erik directly at erik@touchthetop.com. We can also send you a No Barriers/Dolomiti brochure. We would welcome inquiries from organizations or individuals about sponsorship opportunities.
Thanks and climb high
Erik Weihenmayer
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