Jesse Dufton is a blind climber, best known for his trad on-sighting.

He has a degenerative genetic condition, rod-cone dystrophy, that affects his eyes. Born visually impaired, he gradually lost the remainder of his vision during his twenties. A lifelong climber, Jesse has always refused to let his disability curtail his climbing. After a winter alpine expedition to arctic Greenland in 2017, Jesse became aware of and was selected for the GB Paraclimbing team. He began his climbing training journey and subsequently won multiple medals at IFSC World Cups and World Championships and has pioneered blind trad on-sighting, or non-sighting.

Notably, in 2019 he climbed Scotland’s iconic ‘Old Man of Hoy’, leading all 6 pitches non-sight. In 2020, Jesse climbed the infamous ‘Forked Lightning Crack’, a gritstone test piece, sandbag, and Jesse’s first E2. This was particularly significant as, through his training, Jesse had now climbed harder without his vision than he ever had when he retained limited sight.

Jesse has continued to develop his trad climbing with non-sights across the world. Notably ‘Illusion Dweller’ in Joshua Tree, ‘Tizgut Crack’ in Morocco, as well as ‘Internationale’ on the Isle of Skye and ‘Destiny’ on Lundy Island to name a few.

In addition to his trad climbing, Jesse has flashed 7a sport and leads ice routes up to WI4. He has established first ascents in Greenland and in Morocco.

Jesse’s blindness and trad specialism shape his climbing style, with an emphasis on static, controlled movement, areas on which his training is focused. As he is unable to see any of the hand or footholds, he often uses a radio to receive guidance as he climbs from his sight-guide, primarily, his wife Molly. Though, this information is imperfect as it is solely based on what the sight-guide can see from the ground, and Molly has been known to describe the local wildlife as Jesse is mid-crux. 
Jesse is training for his future climbing projects in trad, competition, sport, and ice climbing.