Rose Burke
In the lead up to Erik joining us in Seattle for our Annual Gala in April, we asked him a few questions about his experiences in the outdoors and how he lives a life of adventuring with purpose. Enjoy these excerpts from an extended conversation with Erik. (Responses have been shortened for space.)
Q&A With Erik Weihenmayer
If you could relive any outdoor adventure which would you return to and why?
Can I have two? While I have had some amazing mountaineering and climbing adventures I would love to come back to, I am thinking of one adventure in particular. I have fond memories of taking our kids out to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. We were playing on the lake’s beach surrounded by these towering granite mountains, and my kids, who were seven and eight, were playing in the lake, splashing, kayaking, and flipping each other into the water. For me as a father, hearing this beautiful laughter of children, I thought, oh my god, I wish I could bottle and save this. I would return to this moment in a heartbeat. It was so beautiful.
A mountaineering experience that I would like to relive is ice climbing the Losar waterfall, a 3,000-foot ice face in the Khumbu region of Nepal. I was climbing with two good friends, and we bivied on the wall and topped out the next day. The climb was very intense, with many pitches up, then 14 rappels down, and an intense approach across big, icy rivers and boulder fields. It was an amazing experience and a real climbing highlight. The climb is also special because, when we returned to Namche Bazaar, I learned that our son Arjun's adoption in Nepal had been approved. So, my daughter and ex-wife flew out, and we completed the adoption and took Arjun home. This adventure really stands out to me as being special.
Your life and career have been shaped by extraordinary challenges and equally extraordinary people. Are there any leaders, mentors, or partners who had a particularly big impact on you — and what was a lesson you learned that changed the way you approach the outdoors?
I have had incredible mentors and personal heroes who have opened doors for me and said, “Hey, I don't know much about blindness, but let's go figure this out together.” As a blind guy, you're not going to break into the climbing world without people who believe in you, so I can't tell you how important it has been in my life to have people like that.
From the very first time I went rock climbing in North Conway, New Hampshire, I got to meet some incredible Northeast climbers like Nick Yardley and Marc Chauvin. Both took me under their wings and really taught me how to climb.
Marc gave me two pieces of great advice that still stay with me. First, he said, Erik, I really appreciate that you trust me so much because you are not checking my knots and just blindly trusting that I'm gonna do everything right. But if you want to become a real climber and a partner to someone, you have to watch out for them, too. You have to feel their knots. You have to make sure they're being safe. Climbing is not one-sided; it's an exchange. It's a relationship of trust. And two, if you drop gear, you buy it.
Marc really taught me the importance of being an equal contributor to a team, especially with climbing. The hidden secret gift of being blind is that I have to trust people and by doing so, I quickly develop deep relationships with people.
The Mountaineers doesn’t specialize in adaptive programming, but we strive to be a place where everyone feels welcome. From your perspective, what practices — or even small gestures — make the biggest difference in creating a sense of welcome?
I think it is great that there are so many adaptive sports communities and organizations out there. It’s nothing but positive for everyone. But when I started climbing, there weren't any adaptive programs. I just showed up, and people said, “cool man, let’s figure this out together.” For organizations like The Mountaineers that don’t specialize in adaptive programming, I think it is okay not to be adaptive sports experts, but rather take the approach of seeing who shows up, welcoming them, and then adapting together. Find ways to build trust and interconnectedness with everyone who shows up.
What do you look for when selecting partners and teammates for your outdoor adventures?
Well, it takes a lot of guts to want to go on a dangerous adventure with a blind guy. It takes a lot of trust too. First, I look for people that I enjoy, teammates that I can have fun with. Then beyond their skill, fitness, and endurance, I seek teams that don’t shrink in the face of challenge. When I formed my Everest team, I spoke with some very prominent climbers, many of whom said they thought it was too risky to pursue and that I couldn’t do it. Then, I found friends that believed in the challenge, believed in me, and bravely took three months out of their lives to train and fail with me. Together, we made some cool history.
As our 2026 Adventure with Purpose Award honoree, what does the idea of adventuring with purpose mean to you?
I have been fortunate enough to have had lots of great adventures. I am really grateful that I’ve had so many people take me under their wing, teach me, and be excited and thrilled by the challenge of partnering with me - a blind guy - for big challenges. So, now that I have all of these experiences, I’m interested in how we can bring new and unlikely kinds of people to contribute to beautiful sports like climbing or mountaineering.
This is why I started No Barriers USA: to get people who have never stepped off the pavement a chance to get outside and experience the mountains. These days, I am interested in discovering ways for anyone who wants to be involved to do so, and anyone who wants to contribute to an adventure, to find a way for them to contribute. I think adventuring with purpose is to keep lifting each other up so that anyone and everyone can adventure.
MORE ABOUT ERIK WEIHENMAYER
In 2001, Erik Weihenmayer stood on the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first blind person to reach the top of the world. Since then, he has adventured around the globe, completing the Seven Summits, kayaking the entirety of the Grand Canyon, and taking on astonishing challenges that rival blind or sighted adventurers in ice climbing, rock climbing, backcountry skiing, and more. Beyond the mountains, Erik is the founder of No Barriers USA, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities tap into the human spirit, break barriers, and elevate their communities. Erik has been the subject of several award-winning documentaries about his accomplishments as a blind adventurer and is the author of several books.
ADVENTURE WITH PURPOSE AWARD
On April 25, The Mountaineers will honor Erik Weihenmayer with the 2026 Adventure with Purpose Award at our Gala. The award is our highest honor, recognizing individuals who embody our mission to LEAD Innovation in Outdoor Education, ENGAGE a Vibrant Community of Outdoor Enthusiasts, and ADVOCATE on Behalf of the Natural World. By recognizing an annual recipient with the Adventure with Purpose Award, our goal is to show appreciation for exceptional impact and inspire others to be their best selves in the outdoors. We are delighted to celebrate Erik’s exceptional leadership in the outdoors and his work inspiring people of all walks of life to get outside and live a life without barriers.
Join us in honoring Erik and hearing his keynote address at the 2026 Adventure with Purpose Gala at Fremont Studios on April 25.
