On September 27, Erik Weihenmayer completed a 21-day kayaking expedition down the legendary Grand Canyon of the Colorado River (a trip sponsored by Nature Valley Granola). And while the feat has been done before by many other expert kayakers, Weihenmayer’s accomplishment stands out for one fact: He’s been blind since age 13. Elevation Outdoors sat down with the Golden, Colorado, resident—known as the blind adventurer—to talk about the undertaking that he calls even tougher than his 2001 summit of Mount Everest.
First, the obvious question: How do you whitewater kayak when you can’t see?
I work with an expert guide, or in the case of the Grand, a team of guides including Rob Raker, Timmy O’Neill, Steven Mace, and Skyler Williams. Harlan Taney was the one who paddled directly behind me and basically served as my eyes. We wore waterproof radio headsets that work off of Bluetooth and he’d say things like “paddle right,” or “brace left.” It took me a long time to figure out how to do this, six years now. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
So this was a long time in the making. What was the initial catalyst?
I met Harlan on a No Barriers—that’s my non-profit—youth trip back in 2005. It was one of our “Leading the Way” trips so there were blind kids and sighted kids. We were in duckies and it was so fun—like these fantastic roller coaster rides. At the end of the trip, Harlan said, “You should come back and do the Grand Canyon.” And maybe he says that to all the guys, but I took him seriously [laughs]. Not too long after, I asked my friend Rob [Raker] to teach me how to roll in a kayak, and that was really the start. It was a step-by-step thing, trying to figure out how Rob could guide me down rapids. It wasn’t like I suddenly thought, Hey, I’m going to kayak the Grand Canyon! I didn’t even know if I could kayak the Grand Canyon. But I’ve been in that position before—not knowing if I could do something—and trying anyway, and it ended up working out okay.
What was the toughest section for you on the Grand Canyon?
Lava Falls. In a canyon known for big rapids, Lava is the biggest. And there’s this boil line right above it that wants to flip you before you even get in. Well it flipped me and I ended up swimming. Needless to say, it didn’t go so well. But the thing about Lava is that you can hike back and try it again. So we did the next morning. This time I was able to stay in the boat. But making the decision to go back was really poignant for me. I mean, the river had already told the story, so should I go back and try again for a different outcome? That’s a really interesting question for me: How much of the story of your life do you try and write, and how much of it do you just let happen?
What surprised you about the trip?
Honestly, that it went so well. Harlan and I were just totally in sync. You can see it in the videos; even our paddles were in sync. We were completely in the moment—what they call flow in sports science. It’s something I want to try and master, this concept of letting go and staying relaxed, yet totally aware, even though you know you’re entering into something chaotic that could pummel you. It’s almost like you turn off your mind and just execute—something beyond thinking.
What are you focusing on next?
Right now, it’s the No Barriers organization. We’re really growing. When we started there were just a few of us and now it’s an entire staff and a headquarters in Fort Collins and we’re running dozens of programs every year. We’re taking soldiers who have been injured on what we call transformative journeys; we’re working with youth, with people who’ve experienced trauma. The idea is that there’s this universal toolkit that you can build up, and then apply in your life to equip yourself for breaking through barriers and finding purpose—no matter what your challenge. We have an ambitious goal: We want a million people to take the No Barriers pledge to live life to the fullest, whatever that means for them. For me, and for my teammate, blind veteran Lonnie Bedwell, that meant kayaking the Grand Canyon.
Take the No Barriers Pledge: kayakingblind.org
—Jayme Moye is an award-winning journalist and contributing editor at Elevation Outdoors.
