DEAF MOUNTAINEERS | EXPLORERS | EDUCATORS | STORYTELLERS
MEET SCOTT & SHAYNA
Scott and Shayna, both born profoundly deaf, have climbed some of the world’s highest mountains, like Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Kangchenjunga, Aconcagua, Denali, Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, and Kilimanjaro. Scott and Shayna picked up skills mostly by YouTube videos and asking others through paper and pen because of the lack of accessibility in outdoor education. They have made it their mission of bridging the gap between the outdoors and the deaf and hard of hearing community.
7 OF 7: THE GRAND FINALE
It all started with an idea written down on a piece of paper 11 years ago. Six summits and six continents later, Scott and Shayna are now down to one summit left: Mount Vinson in Antarctica. This December 2026 - January 2027, they're heading to Antarctica to climb the highest mountain on the continent at 16,050 feet.
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It's the final climb of Seeing Beyond: Seven Summits and a chance to make history as the first Deaf people to complete the Seven Summits. And they want you to be part of it.
HISTORY MADE ON EVEREST
On May 22, 2023, at 6:00 a.m., Scott and Shayna made history on Mount Everest, becoming the first deaf Americans to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain. Just 26 hours later, they made history again with a double ascent of 8000m peaks back-to-back, reaching the summit of Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world.
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Click to learn more about their Everest 2023 expedition and how they brought their own community to the top with them.
BEYOND THE PEAKS
For Scott and Shayna, it has always been more than just climbing mountains. As deaf mountaineers, they have faced unique challenges, such as communication barriers, a lack of deaf representation, and limited access to mountaineering information and education. This has ignited their passion for making the outdoors more accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing community.