Jesse Dufton

About

United Kingdom

Share this page

Jesse is a member of the GB Paraclimbing Team in the Visually Impaired category, B1. He is a skilled and experienced climber across all disciplines despite his disability.

Jesse suffers from Rod-Cone Dystrophy, a genetic condition leading to damage to the light sensitive area in the eyes. Consequently it is not corrected by wearing glasses and has affected him since birth. The condition is degenerative, he was born with approximately 20% of central vision (no peripheral vision) with large blind spots, the quality of the image he could see was extremely poor and he was totally blind in low light conditions. Jesses vision has deteriorated to a point now where he can’t make out any image or text anymore and is down to only having light perception. As a result of his eyesight he is now no longer able to read and consequently uses text-to-speech software in order to use a computer and to work.

Despite his extremely poor eyesight, Jesse is a keen climber and mountaineer, starting at a young age and rarely turning down an opportunity, he is experienced in all climbing disciplines. He feels his way up routes and is assisted by Molly, his trusty partner, route reader and sight guide.

It was only in September 2017, that Jesse and Molly first heard about Paraclimbing as a competitive sport and 3 days later they found themselves booked into an Air B&B in Edinburgh, preparing for their first competition. Gaining a podium position here was incredible. Following further great performances in the 4 national Paraclimbing competitions late 2017, Jesse was selected to represent the GB Paraclimbing Team at a selection event in Sheffield in Feb 2018. An amazing achievement! This is when the hard training began…

Follow Jesse on Social Media
Website

Adverstising on UKC

Best IFSC Results

This athlete has competed internationally

Latest News & Articles

News posts and Articles featuring Jesse

Interview Jesse Dufton on his ascent of El Matador, on Devil's Tower

Earlier this year, Jesse Dufton became the first blind climber to lead a climb on Devil's Tower, Wyoming, USA.

24 Jul, 2024

Fri Night Vid Breaking Trails - "The Blind Ascent" with Tamara Lunger & Jesse Dufton

In this week's Friday Night Video, Tamara Lunger and Jesse Dufton reflect on overcoming adversity and personal tragedy while climbing Norway's iconic Gausta Falls.

5 1 Mar, 2024

News Non-Sight of Destiny E2 5c by Jesse Dufton

Blind climber Jesse Dufton has made a non-sight ascent of Destiny E2 5c on Lundy island, describing it as one of his hardest leads to date.

15 31 Oct, 2023

News Morocco Multipitch First Ascent by Blind Climber Jesse Dufton

Jesse Dufton, known for his bold ascents as a blind climber, has established a new...

4 16 Mar, 2023

News 2021 - A Year of Climbing News

The second year of the pandemic was another strange one. The year began with another lockdown in the UK; climbing walls...

30 Dec, 2021

News Six Medals at IFSC World Championships for GB Paraclimbing Team

The GB Paraclimbing Team's intense two years of training reached its culmination last...

22 Sep, 2021

News Blind Climber Jesse Dufton 'Non-sights' E3

Jesse Dufton has onsighted his first E3, Internationale at Kilt Rock on the Isle of Skye. It was the first...

13 23 Jul, 2021

Fri Night Vid Blind climber Jesse Dufton climbs Forked Lightning Crack (E2 5c), Heptonstall

4 Dec, 2020

Interview Jesse Dufton of Climbing Blind on 'Non-Sighting' E2

4 17 Aug, 2020

News Climbing Blind on BBC Four at 9pm

44 20 May, 2020

News Blind Climber Jesse Dufton leads the Old Man of Hoy

31 7 Jun, 2019

Latest Reviews for Jesse's Sponsors

Reviews from the UKC editorial team

Performance All-Rounder Climbing Shoes

If you're only going to buy one shoe for all your climbing, then make it an all-rounder. We check out six versatile models at the performance end of the market.

9 27 Aug

Lightweight Softshells

Lightweight softshells are among the more versatile pieces of outdoor clothing, offering a bit of protection from the weather while remaining breathable and easy to pack. In this group test we look at jackets with an active cut, and stretch fabric that's robust...

12 12 Aug

Montane Terra and Jetstream Shorts

Dan Bailey gets all summery, with two pairs of shorts from Montane aimed at rather different niches: one for all-round hill use, the other for running and lightweight backpacking...

5 5 Aug

Boreal Mutant 3.0

This is a good performance all-rounder for bouldering on a variety of rock types, and indoors. What's the catch? Well, the complicated fit...

2 22 Jul

OTS 2025 - Our Best of the Show

The Outdoor Trade Show has just wrapped up, and after a few quiet years post-Covid, 2025 saw a strong showing for new...

20 13 Jun

Montane Respond XT Hooded Insulated Jacket

Replacing Montane's popular Flux jacket, the Respond XT offers the lightweight and functional warmth of a synthetic...

4 13 Mar

Head to Head: DMM Cortex vs Black Diamond Hydra Ice Axes

Two new axes are turning heads this season - the Black Diamond Hydra and the DMM Cortex. Both seem...

38 6 Mar

Latest News from Jesse's Sponsors

Announcements direct from manufacturers

Write a review, win £100 DMM kit!

We want your help to populate our product reviews with your experience in using them, and you could win £100 of DMM kit in return.

26 Sep, 2023

Montane Extend More Sustainable Choice Programme

Montane has extended its 'More Sustainable Choice' initiative which will now include communication tools to be available to all stockists across a wider range of products as part of the brand's continued strategy to improve product...

9 Jan, 2023

Montane Collaborates with Outside, Hathersage on 'Hope Valley Round'

Outdoor clothing specialist, Montane, has announced plans to support the 2022 Outside Hope Valley Round in a bid to encourage runners and hikers to take on the challenge of the trail route.

28 Oct, 2022