Dr Karolina (Caroline) Pakėnaitė is a deafblind mountaineer and researcher from the UK, preparing to become the first deafblind person to summit Mount Everest.
Caroline has Usher syndrome type 2A and is registered blind, with severe tunnel vision and night blindness alongside significant hearing loss. Her mountaineering journey has included treks to Everest Base Camp and Poon Hill, the summit of Mera Peak (6,476 m) and Mount Kenya, as well as an attempt on Himlung Himal (7,126 m), where she turned around close to the summit due to severe weather.
Her current focus is the DeafBlind Everest Project, through which she is exploring how deafblind people can participate more safely and independently in the outdoors. In September–October 2026, she will climb Dhaulagiri VII (7,246 m) as part of her preparation for Everest 2027.
Alongside her mountaineering, Caroline is a researcher specialising in accessibility and technology. Her PhD at the University of Bath investigated tactile images for people with visual impairments. She is now applying this research background to the mountains, including field-testing a haptic wearable designed to support communication and navigation where visual and auditory information are limited.
Her work brings together mountaineering, disability accessibility, haptic technology and human–environment interaction, with the aim of demonstrating practical ways in which outdoor environments can become more accessible to people with sensory disabilities.
Caroline regularly shares her experiences through talks, public engagement and accessible storytelling, using her expeditions to raise awareness of deafblindness and challenge assumptions about who can participate in adventure and exploration.
