Georgian Carl de Kampos is blind but has never let this stand in the way of him enjoying life and experiencing adventure, with his latest exploit being a hike up George Peak (1 370m) on Saturday 2 November together with a small group of supportive hikers.
De Kampos is an avid runner and very fit, however one of his worries was that he would hamper the other hikers’ pace. As it turned out, he was among the faster members of the group who waited at the top for the others to finish.
Carl says “It was a mentally testing terrain. Along certain sections we had to climb on all fours and there was one spot where they told me to keep to one side as there was a steep cliff,” he says.
While hiking, he held lightly onto the backpack of the guide in front of him. He also has a trekking pole to secure his balance when going down large dips and drops.
“I have always wanted to climb George Peak as I enjoy the outdoors and do a lot of running, tandem cycling and horse-riding,” he said.
Carl says he met a guy through a friend, who agreed to take him on an easy hike, and also test him on some scrambling. He then agreed to take him up George Peak.
“Summiting was a wonderful feeling. Although I could not appreciate the view, just being up there surrounded by openness, and also enjoying the smells and sounds and feel of nature is always something special to me. Also the camaraderie of fellow hikers supporting each other reminds me of when I ran the Comrades Marathon.”
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