What inspired you to climb Mount Everest?
Lonnie Bedwell: I connect with non-profit organisations that work with people with disabilities. I take them hiking, climbing, kayaking, sailing, mountain biking, or anything [in the] outdoors—that is my passion. And in doing so, I show them, their families and the public what’s possible.

What took me to Everest was a conversation I had with the executive director of the Blinded Veterans Association, trying to figure out how we could work together—I just didn’t know then what that would be. Three days later, I got a call from Michael Neal [a US-based mountaineer], whom I met climbing Aconcagua in South America, asking me to climb Mount Everest. I thought: “This is something you’re meant to do.”

What does it take to climb Mount Everest?
Jamling Tenzing Norgay: Physical fitness is key. The mountain will really test you, because the higher you go, the slower you get. You also have to stay mentally focused when preparing yourself and during the climb. I usually first make sure clients have a certain level of cardio, then I might take them on a trek to the Everest base camp [at 5,400m] to see how they deal with altitude—because that’s what kills people. If they perform well, we go a bit higher and work our way to Everest. Going with limited experience is irresponsible. You risk your life, the lives of your teammates—and the lives of 20 Sherpas, [who would need to] bring you down the mountain.

Bedwell: I witnessed people being buried in an ice rack at the Khumbu Icefall [a glacier above Everest base camp], Sherpas carrying people out of that section and being helicoptered off the mountain. Going up the Lhotse face of the trail [south of Everest], a rock fall occurred above me, which could have crushed my hands or boots. My oxygen mask also failed about halfway up the last section before the summit. And while all this was happening, it was easy to lose hope, so I needed to immediately shove it out of my mind. I told myself: “You have to do this—take another step, take another step.”

Every time I go to the top of a mountain, I reach down and pick up a little rock to bring back to two blind veteran friends of mine. I tell them: “Please see what’s possible; please believe in yourself.”

What are the lessons you have learnt from climbing Mount Everest?
Norgay: One of the most challenging sections of Everest is the Khumbu Icefall—a constantly moving river of ice. You have to go through it, but you don’t have a say in whether an avalanche comes down or not—there’s nowhere to run. When you make it to the top, it makes you realise how insignificant we are and how nature has the overall say. You cannot say “I conquered Mount Everest”—the mountain will tell you whether to climb it or not.

Everyone has their own Everest, and the most important thing is the journey. You can look back at the memories of being on top and looking at the view, but what you really take away is the journey of how you got there and the people you meet along the way.

What are your next outdoor adventure goals?
Bedwell: I want to climb the Seven Summits—the highest peaks in all seven continents—and ski to the North and South Poles. On every continent, I’d find someone with a disability, introduce them to climbing or kayaking, and have them teach me something they want me to learn. We would all get together and go on another adventure, to show the world that there’s no colour and no difference between us. There’s no disability—it’s just us and what we can do.

The human possibilities are opened up when you give people with different abilities this chance to shine. It enriches the world and makes it a better place for everyone. 

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