No Barriers/Dolomiti July 15-19, 2005

This July,  Mark Wellman,  the first paraplegic to climb El Capitan;  Hugh Herr,  a double-leg amputee who has put up first ascents on world class rock faces;  and I have organized No Barriers/Dolomiti,  a non-profit outdoor festival designed to blast open the doors of opportunity for disabled people.  Held in Cortina,  Italy,  in the heart of the Dolomites,  the project stems from our belief that the beautiful open spaces of the world aren’t just for elite athletes, but for every person, regardless of age, physical ability...or disability. No Barriers/Dolomiti is for anyone who dreams big and craves a life of innovation and adventure

Last summer’s festival, the first of its kind,  was an outstanding beginning,  with 500 disabled outdoor  enthusiasts, family members, disability-related professionals, and sponsors gathered from around Europe and America taking part. This summer's festival will be even bigger,  with a wider variety of clinics and demonstrations, and a greater worldwide presence. Cortina provides a spectacular and awe-inspiring environment for this educational event.

No Barriers/Dolomiti will include inspiring presentations from disabled athletes, a technology symposium, and an equipment fair. Scientists, researchers, and athletes will showcase the latest prosthetic limbs, wheel chairs, and climbing and hiking tools. Speakers will present on the future of technology for disabled people.

Most exciting will be the outdoor clinics on rock climbing and hand cycling for paraplegics and quadraplegics, and trekking clinics, led by me, for blind and visually impaired people. Envision paraplegics learning to do pull-ups up a rock face, quadraplegics screaming down a mountain trail on hand cycles, and blind people trekking  over rugged mountain passes.

We will end this year's festival with a dramatic climb of a major Dolomite rock face by a fully disabled, unsupported climbing team - Hugh Herr, who runs Harvard's prosthetic leg institute;  Andy Holzer, a blind climber from Austria whom I met during last year's festivities;  and myself. This demonstration of the power of a disabled team will be a major media focus.  The chosen climb is a Dolomite test piece:  the Tofana’s Pilastro Route - 15 pitches and one of the Dolomites' most classic and difficult ascents.

Millet One Sport Everest Boot  has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

A cold weather, high altitude double boot for extreme conditions The Olympus Mons is the perfect choice for 8000-meter peaks. This super lightweight double boot has a PE thermal insulating inner boot that is coupled with a thermo-reflective outer boot with an integrated gaiter. We used a super insulating lightweight PE outsole to keep the weight down and the TPU midsole is excellent for crampon compatibility and stability on steep terrain. WEIGHT: 39.86 oz • 1130 g LAST: Olympus Mons CONSTRUCTION: Inner: Slip lasted Outer: Board Lasted OUTER BOOT: Cordura® upper lined with dual-density PE micro-cellular thermal insulating closed cell foam and thermo-reflective aluminium facing/ Insulated removable footbed/ Vibram® rubber rand See more here.

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