It's a daring adventure for anyone, especially a 12-year-old boy, and even more so, for one who is blind. But, climbing the highest point in the country of Belize, Victoria Peak, is a challenge that Rowan Garel and his father Joe are more than willing to take on for the blind and visually impaired children at BCVI.
In 2010, the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) faced the likelihood of not being able to carry out their Annual Summer Camp for blind children due to a lack of funding. The non-profit organization supports blind and visually impaired students year-round, with the Camps being the highlight for them and their families. While the donations trickled in and camp was successful, in facing this crisis, Rowan and his parents worried about the other kids not having the opportunity in 2011 and came up with the idea.
The Garels have been with BCVI since Rowan was a baby. Now, 12 years old and at the top of his 7th Grade class, Rowan is a model student and a wonderfully caring boy. When told about BCVIs struggle raising funds, his parents were offered the chance to send him to the U.S. for a few weeks to attend a summer camp. Although Rowan was excited at the idea, his heartfelt response was, "What about the other kids?" Many of the students and young children in the program come from underprivileged families, and are not fortunate enough to have such opportunities. So, Rowan and his parents decided to help raise funds themselves. And so came about the Climbing Ambassadors for Sight.
Training started in January 2011 to prepare Joe and Rowan for the March 25th climb. The family, along with BCVI, hope that this venture will raise awareness and funds to help support not only Summer Camp, but other educational and rehabilitative training that the organization provides to blind and visually impaired people throughout Belize. If you would like to support this cause, please visit our website to make a secure donation via PayPal http://bcvi.org/help.html
In Belize, please send your donations to BCVI at PO Box 525 Belize City, Belize For any questions, you can contact us via email at csdairs@gmail.com or by telephone at (501) 636-1130. (http://ambassadorsforsight.blogspot.com/)
Victoria's Peak is considered the highest point in Belize - although experts will tell you that another spot known as Doyle's Delight, is slightly higher. Whatever the case, Victoria is 3,675 feet of the roughest terrain you'll ever want to meet.
And now a 12 year old visually impaired boy wants to climb it! But he's not doing it on some idle lark; Rowan Garel wants to raise money for the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired.
The standard five student says BCVI's summer program - which teaches crucial lessons to visually impaired children like him - is having funding problems and he wants to help by climbing for charity. He'll do it with his dad, Joe Garel and the pair told us about it today:…
Rowan Garel, Will Climb Victoria Peak "I'll be climbing Victoria Peak because we want to raise funds for the summer camp that I go to every year."
Monica Bodden "You and who will be climbing Victoria Peak?"
Rowan Garel, Will Climb Victoria Peak "My dad and I."
Monica Bodden "How did this idea all came about Rowan?"
Rowan Garel, Will Climb Victoria Peak "Well the summer camp lost some major funders. We still had the summer camp last year but we only just had enough money, so we thought that we should do something about that, you know raise funds so that we could have it because this is very important."
Joe Garel, Will Climb with son "For the past couple of years we notice that BCVI was having a bit of trouble getting funds to run the summer camp and while Rowan spends a lot of time all over the country, we travel a lot with him, we don't like keeping him back. A lot of the kids that attend the summer camp are not as privileged; there are some from some of the remote villages and they really look forward to coming all the way to Belize City or Cayo or wherever they have the summer camp and it's an outing that they really look forward to every year and it's been difficult over the past couple years to get funding. They are wondering how or if they will be able to run it in the future so in talking with Rowan - he loves hiking, he loves the outdoors so I asked him if he would be interested in doing something along that line to help raise funds for this summer camp."
Carla Ayres Musa, B.C.V.I. "Actually we are amazed and are very proud of Rowan. We always have been and this is the kind of support that we wish everybody could give and we know that we appreciate it coming from anyone but it is especially heartwarming coming from Rowan and wanting to help not just BCVI but the people and the children that are in summer camp with him."
Rowan Garel, Will Climb Victoria Peak "Well I don't think it will be easy, it will definitely be challenging but once I train properly I think I can do it."
Joe Garel, Will Climb with son "It's kind of difficult because it would be nice to have some hills but Belize City is flat and that's where we are and i am not always in Belize City with him either, I spend a lot of time in Belmopan, so when I am here we go on hikes along Princess Margaret Drive, doing a few miles in the evening, walking at least two - three - four miles. But just having him get used to walking continuously for a long period of time."
"To be honest with you, I've been watching his pace and he keeps a pretty decent pace. I've been to Victoria Peak a number of times and we usually do it in two and a half days. He may be able to do it in 3 days, but I am looking more to like three and half to four days."
Carla Ayres Musa, B.C.V.I. "We have a blog setup that we are going to be updating regularly with Rowan following his training and Joe's training and the actual climb and that's ambassadorsforsight.blogspot.com and you can go on there and follow us so you get updates as we get update with Rowan. That will also link you to B.C.V.I. website where you could just click a button and make a donation. It's that easy."
As you might expect Rowan is the top of his standard five class at hummingbird elementary.
To find a link to the site where you can contribute, log unto 7newsbelize.com. http://bcvi.org/help.html
In Belize, send donations to BCVI at
PO Box 525
Belize City, Belize.
Rowan is an absolute inspiration. I hope teachers and community leaders will use his story as a demonstration of what can be achieved if you try. Good luck Rowan!
Yes, great kid and family. This is intl news. His dad Joe is one of the best bushman I know, who does not live in the bush. His brother Tony and he have been trying to set up a reptile zoo in Belmopan for years and hope its time will come soon.
Yes, great kid and family. This is intl news. His dad Joe is one of the best bushman I know, who does not live in the bush. His brother Tony and he have been trying to set up a reptile zoo in Belmopan for years and hope its time will come soon.
Hi Friends, Family and Colleagues: My cousin Milagro's son Rowan will not let his blindness prevent him from experiencing some of life's thrills. Instead he has chosen a way of helping other visually impaired children in Belize. Rowan is taking on what might be an even greater challenge than his blindness. He and his father Joe have begun training for a March 24th climb to the Victoria Peak. The proceeds of this venture is to raise funds to support blind and visually impaired children throughout Belize. This challenge will perhaps serve to remind those of us blessed with all five senses that there's much more to see if we just open our hearts. Please kindly donate to this worthy cause. The bank information is on the flyer attached or write a cheque to BCVI, I will be happy to pick it up. I thank you in advance. Iraida
============ Belize Council for the Visually Impaired
The Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) has been working since 1981 to prevent and reduce blindness in Belize through its Comprehensive Eye Care program. Our work extends into providing blind and visually impaired children and adults with the educational support and skills needed to live independent and fulfilling lives.
Every year, we struggle to raise funds for our Rehabilitation Program, the area that provides the training for people who are irreversibly blind or visually impaired. Our Annual Summer Camps are the highlight for the children, and provide not only entertainment and field trips, but the crucial skills needed to meet their milestones and educational targets.
This year, one of BCVIs long-time students, 12-year-old Rowan Garel, who has been visually impaired for most of his life, will be climbing Victoria Peak to raise awareness and funds for the children of BCVI. Accompanied by his father Joe, an experienced climber, they will depart on March 24th for the 3-day hike.
Rowan and BCVI are asking for your support. We would greatly appreciate whatever assistance you can offer and are more than willing to provide you any additional information needed.
You can be a part of this extraordinary venture by following Rowan on his journey to the top of Victoria Peak at http://ambassadorsforsight.blogspot.com/. Once again, thank you for your support and we look forward to hearing from you.
Tonight 12 year old visually impaired boy Rowan Garel is camped out at Kilometer 19 on the way up to the top of Victoria Peak. He left with his dad early this morning - and reached kilometer 19 at 4:30 pm. The report from the field is that Rowan is tired from the full day of hiking, but still excited.
An ardent and studied birder, he's been surrounded by sounds of the Keeled Billed Toucans and other birds.
If all goes as planned they should summit Victoria by tomorrow.
And while he is making history with every step - for this young man - it's nothing new as he told us in tonight's I am Belize profile - he's an educator:..
Of course, he's doing the climb for charity, specifically for the Belize Council For the Visually impaired and its summer camp programme. So you can send your donations or drop them off at the BCVI office on Princess Margaret drive or contribute to their Belize Bank account 71096, or you can go to bcvi.org and make a donation online.
12 year old Rowan Garel and his dad reached the summit of Victoria Peak around 2:30 this afternoon. The first thing he did was call his mother - yes they did get Digicell service at 3,700 feet - and told her that he was very excited and very tired.
The team summited in just two days - which is a lot quicker than expected and after a short rest at the top of Belize, they started their descent.
Tonight they are camped out at the 12 k mark and are expected to be all the way back down sometime between tomorrow evening and Sunday morning.
That's when Rowan will be hosted at a welcome back picnic at the base.
Rowan is the first blind child to summit Victoria Peak. And so while he goes down in the record book, he's doing the climb for charity, specifically for the Belize Council For the Visually impaired and its summer camp programme. So you can send your donations or drop them off at the BCVI office on Princess Margaret drive or contribute to their Belize Bank account 71096, or you can go to bcvi.org and make a donation online.
We've been following amazing twelve year old Rowan Garel. He's the visually impaired student who took on the grueling climb to the summit of Victoria Peak. The trek started on Wednesday and this afternoon, Rowan successfully completed his personal challenge of reaching the summit. Rowan took on the task of climbing the second highest point in the country in an effort to raise much needed funds for an annual summer program held by the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired. With the sponsorship of Delta Airlines, a team of six including Garel's father and News Five's cameraman Alex Ellis made the trek to the mountaintop. We spoke with Rowan a few minutes after he completed his ascent to Victoria Peak.
Voice of: Rowan Garel, Visually Impaired Climber
Rowan Garel
"It was very tiring because on the second day your muscles are stiff because the first day is hills and stuff so the muscles are tired. The second day when you start you're cold, your muscles are stiff and then after that it warms up and it feels like you can go on forever. I feel really good right now that I'm on top of this mountain and that I'm successful because I know that many people tried and they didn't succeed but the point is they tried right. But I feel really good right now because even though I can't see and I do have a disability I made it. So I think that other people that are sighted should think to themselves that, you know, well if he could make it [then why not me? I actually did this as a fundraiser for the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired, B.C.V.I., and they lost some major donors last year. We climbed it [Victoria Peak] because they had a summer camp and they had children from all over the children coming and some of them came from Corozal, P.G. and the surrounding villages. So they didn't really get a chance to travel to other areas and when they are at the summer camp they could travel to Belize City first of all and then we do little trips to Bacab and Croc Land and stuff like that and they really enjoy that. So I think the funding got taken away from them so we're doing this to help."
News Five will have the complete feature story of Rowan's journey to the top in the days ahead.
Tonight we premiere the first in a two part series on a young boy who embarked on a mission to raise funds for a charity. Rowan Garel's face can be seen in many superstores across the country, on tip jars, that are labeled for the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired. Garel, not even in his teens, decided that he would go to the Cockscomb Basin and have his voice heard from the majestic Maya mountain range. News Five's Cameraman Alex Ellis accompanied the youth and his father, Joe, as they spent two days climbing Belize's most famous mountain top.
Alex Ellis, Reporting
Standard five student, Rowan Garel, stands out because he's blind. But Garel, only twelve, is about to do what few adults have accomplished; that is climb to the second highest summit in Belize-Victoria Peak.
Rowan Garel
Rowan garel
"Well the B.C.V.I. lost some major sponsors so we were just trying to think of something to do to raise funds and we thought of climbing Victoria Peak to raise funds for this summer camp. I didn't really have to think about it. I just thought you know if it is going to raise funds for B.C.V.I. and for all the other children that need the equipment. You know, why not? Let's do it."
Alex Ellis
Alex Ellis
"This is day one of our attempt up Victoria Peak. I, myself, Alex Ellis, will be climbing along with Joe Garel and his son, Rowan, who is the youngest and only person with any form of disability to attempt Victoria Peak. The hope today is that we make it to kilometers nineteen which is generally the first rest point on any expedition to Victoria Peak."
Although goodbyes were shared, mother and sister are not yet ready for the cub to leave the fold. They follow a short distance for one more goodbye. So while crossing the Sittee River, Rowan's journey begins.
Joe Garel, Father
Joe Garel
"We're at 12K right now; we're just across the Sittee Branch and it's just starting to get some of the hills. The road's been very good. This is where we normally end up for lunch the first day hike. So he is keeping up with just about anybody else who has done this trip-the usual pace that people keep. So that's pretty impressive. We'll see what happens when we hit the hills after this because from here it starts getting hillier.
I'm feeling it. I mean the pack is a little bit heavier than I'm used to. My pack is just under sixty pounds. I try keep it around forty, but I'm packing for me and him and you know a few extra things. So it's taxing."
Because the trek is arduous, the team briefly rests at kilometer thirteen, while grabbing a Spartan snack, the team reboots. The journey from that location to kilometer nineteen, the first campsite, means leaving established trails. This is where forest, god's earth and flora reign without human cultivation. The journey now is predominantly off-trail.
Alex Ellis
"It's currently ten past five on the first day of climbing. Behind me if you look-it's kinda covered in clouds at the moment-you can see the third tip, the highest peak. It's been a tedious day of climbing-much more than I expected. My leg cramped up a couple times, but still here, still going. Joe and his son are somewhere behind us; they should be coming up this mountain shortly. We are almost about 18K, about one more to go then we will rest for the night and hopefully leave early in the morning and make summit sometimes around ten a.m."
The morning after the first leg of the journey, Rowan sleeps in his hammock while his father, Joe, prepares a meal of sausage and bread. The guides also prepare white rice which contains all the carbs that they will burn throughout the day.
Rowan Garel
"I got lots of rest."
Alex Ellis
"How was the sleeping in the hammock? What was that experience like?"
Rowan Garel
"It was comfortable. I didn't find it much different from sleeping in an ordinary bed."
Alex Ellis
"It's just after seven on day two on our climb to Victoria Peak which is kilometer nineteen. It was a bit of a rough night. Unlike everyone else who were smart to bring hammocks, I brought a sleeping bag and had to kind of rough it on the floor. Spent most of the nights picking ticks off my body-fun!"
Rowan Garel
"I don't feel cramped or soared or stiff or anything. I actually feel like I could continue."
The boy's senses of hearing and touch are his eyes on the journey.
Joe Garel
"What's the best thing so far?"
Rowan Garel
"Probably the birds that I hear."
Joe Garel
"That's one thing that he can appreciate-he can't see the birds, but he can hear them and appreciate the calls. And I listen to tapes; he listens to some as well over the years. And I'll forget half of them and he still remembers them so he probably remembers more of them than I do."
A short water break is required on the journey. Though physically tired, sheer determination takes over and the ascent continues.
On Wednesday night we premiered the first part of twelve year old Rowan Garel's trek to Victoria Peak. Climbing to Victoria Peak is a difficult feat for any healthy adult, but Rowan it appeared might have been hindered by the fact that he can't see. Blindness, as you will see in the second part of his journey, played no role in his ascent to the second highest peak in the land. News Five's Cameraman Alex Ellis joined Rowan on the journey and here's his report.
Alex Ellis, Reporting
A short water break is required on the journey. Though physically tired, sheer determination takes over and the ascent continues.
Joe Garel, Father
Joe Garel
"Right now we are about roughly 21K. We started at 19K this morning. We got off to a late start at probably around seven. We wanted to start six, but we started an hour late, seven o'clock. It's been steep all day, no flat anymore and each ravine just keeps getting steeper and steeper. It's kinda stuff starting because the muscles aren't warmed up yet and they are a little sore from yesterday-not too bad. This is where it breaks you down because most people get up this morning and it is the toughest morning to deal with and you could easily give up. Once you get through the first hour of this, your muscles warm up and you feel like you can go all day again. And that is Rowan."
Alex Ellis
"How you feel Ro?"
Rowan Garel
Rowan Garel
"I feel ok and I can do this I think. I just fall down a lot, but I can do it. This morning when we started, I felt a little stiff-my legs felt a little stiff-but they became relaxed after a while and I felt like I could go for six years."
{Shots of the climb}
Rowan Garel
"It's getting very steep now. We are at 25K. We only have two more left but it is getting really steep and slippery. I drop almost every time I try to find a foot hold. I slip for quite a ways, so that was very easy."
Alex Ellis
"How you feel physically?"
Rowan Garel
"Kind of tired."
Alex Ellis
"You have enough for the next two?"
Rowan Garel
"Umm, I think so."
Joe Garel
"It's very treacherous because a lot of time you are on ledges and it is very slippery and muddy going across the rocky ravine bottoms and that kind of stuff. So I am more concerned with him than with everything else around me. You know I normally watch the trees and the birds, but if you turn around and look right up here, you can see the edge of Victoria Peak."
Alex Ellis
Alex Ellis
"It's now ten to twelve. We have been walking since about seven this morning and this is actually the base of Victoria Peak. This is where we start the actual ascent."
Rocks, boulders, danger, even for Joe. Going up means falling down. It's a simple illustration of life's lessons learned about moving forward, even if the obstacle before your face is a mountain. No giving up; what one man can do another can do.
Joe Garel
"We're probably about half-way from the base where we start hiking up to the top of the peak. We stopped to have lunch where it is about one-ten right now. And we are just trying to get some shade because from here on up it's all in the sun. I think another forty-five minutes or so we should be on top. This is the toughest part."
Alex Ellis
"How are you feeling?"
Rowan Garel
"I'm feeling ok. I think I can do it, but my pants is wet and I don't really like that, but I'll survive."
Alex Ellis
"It was a bit tough coming up those last rocks."
Rowan Garel
"Yes it was tough because it was slippery and some of the rocks were shifting so that was difficult."
Emerging from a canopy gives a feeling of accomplishment. The cliff edges are a constant reminder of the risks below. Now near the end, father and son are one; Joe takes Rowan on his back as they tackle the steep and climb.
Three thousand six hundred and seventy five feet high looks out to one hundred and twenty-eight acres of the Cockscomb Basin wildlife Sanctuary. Walt Whitman once said "I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey work of the stars." And so after 2 days of walking and sleeping amongst hundreds of species of plants, listening to tropical birds and wildlife; looking into the horizon, I believe that this view spawned from the growth of this mountain is no less than the evolution of our Milky Way. The inspiration, however, bows to the personal story of father and son.
Rowan Garel
"I'm glad I made it. Before-this is strange-I was exhausted when I was coming up but right now I feel like I can fly. I just feel-there is not words to explain how I fell right now."
Joe Garel
"To start with, being visually impaired doesn't mean you have a major handicap. That's what B.C.V.I. actually taught us. I have no clue how to raise a blind child and B.C.V.I. taught us and one thing that they really showed us and really impressed us with is that they have pushed all these years to integrate blind children into regular school settings from day one. So Rowan has gone through the entire school system so far from his first day of ABC right up until he is in standard five right now in a regular school and excels. He does really well. I'm gonna take away more from this than he will to be honest with you and he is the one constantly teaching us. He has overcome so many obstacles that we never dreamt he would have. We've learned more from him than him from us all these years. I mean the first time I asked him about this, it was no doubt-he said he wants to do it. No question; if I think he'd make it or if…no, no! it was definitely yeah, let's go."
Rowan Garel
"If I can do it, they could definitely do it. And I want people to know that I didn't just do this for fun, I did this as a fund raiser for the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired, B.C.V.I., because they lost some major donors last year and we really want to help raise funds for their summer camp because people come from all over Belize: Corozal, P.G., Cayo. So they don't really get a chance to travel outside their little village. So we just want to let them continue having this summer camp."
After four days of being in the wild, Rowan is greeted by his family. The boy who thought he might be able to climb a mountain, returned knowing that he can accomplish anything. Alex Ellis for News Five.
Ellis will be discussing the climb on Friday morning's Open Your Eyes.
Remember brave 12-year-old Rowan Garel? He is the inspirational and brave visually impaired boy who climbed Belize's second highest peak. On March 25, 2011, at approximately 2:30pm, Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) received a call from Rowan and his father Joe who had just arrived at the summit of Victoria Peak. Overwhelmed, exhausted and delighted, Rowan and Joe had done the trek to the top in just over one day, which is the average time it takes to reach that point.
Well here is a video interview of Rowan as he completed his climb to the summit of Victoria Peak. His mission: to raise funds for BCVI so that they can send other visually impaired children to summer camp.
"At no point in time, not one single time, did he complain," Joe said of his brave son. Rowan recalls wanting to give up, "I thought about it, but I didn't want to be remembered at the only blind person to try and then turn around and not make it." This driven 12-year-old is not only the youngest to ever summit Victoria Peak, but is also the only person with any type of disability to accomplish this feat.
"I want people to know I didn't just do this for fun! I did this as a fundraiser for the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired." - Rowan Garel
Support Rowan and spread the word as BCVI is still seeking donations for Summer Camp and to help support the children who are blind and visually impaired! You can make your donations at the BCVI Belize Bank account 71096, mail it to BCVI, PO Box 525,Lions Building, Princess Margaret Drive, Belize City, Belize (Phone: 501-636-1130 or US Vonage: 504-322-7064) or you can go to bcvi.org and make a donation online.
The opinions and views expressed on this board are the subjective opinions of Ambergris Caye Message Board members and not of the Ambergris Caye Message Board its affiliates, or its employees.
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Victoria's Peak is considered the highest point in Belize - although experts will tell you that another spot known as Doyle's Delight, is slightly higher. Whatever the case, Victoria is 3,675 feet of the roughest terrain you'll ever want to meet.
"I'll be climbing Victoria Peak because we want to raise funds for the summer camp that I go to every year."
"For the past couple of years we notice that BCVI was having a bit of trouble getting funds to run the summer camp and while Rowan spends a lot of time all over the country, we travel a lot with him, we don't like keeping him back. A lot of the kids that attend the summer camp are not as privileged; there are some from some of the remote villages and they really look forward to coming all the way to Belize City or Cayo or wherever they have the summer camp and it's an outing that they really look forward to every year and it's been difficult over the past couple years to get funding. They are wondering how or if they will be able to run it in the future so in talking with Rowan - he loves hiking, he loves the outdoors so I asked him if he would be interested in doing something along that line to help raise funds for this summer camp."
"We have a blog setup that we are going to be updating regularly with Rowan following his training and Joe's training and the actual climb and that's ambassadorsforsight.blogspot.com and you can go on there and follow us so you get updates as we get update with Rowan. That will also link you to B.C.V.I. website where you could just click a button and make a donation. It's that easy."
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Tonight 12 year old visually impaired boy Rowan Garel is camped out at Kilometer 19 on the way up to the top of Victoria Peak. He left with his dad early this morning - and reached kilometer 19 at 4:30 pm. The report from the field is that Rowan is tired from the full day of hiking, but still excited.
