Brother climbs Thai mountain blindfolded to find out what his blind sister faces everyday
A devoted brother climbed a mountain blindfold during a three-day challenge to find out what his "incredible" sister who was born without sight faces everyday. Brave Ed Smith, 21, said it was “pretty special” to walk in the footsteps of his sibling, Harriet Smith, 31, while admitting the hair-raising feat was “terrifying” at times. The student set out on the 72-hour adventure with his girlfriend Eimear Pickstone, 21, who helped him traverse rain-drenched hillsides and bustling cities in Thailand last month. And during their epic voyage, his eyes were even covered when Eimear accidentally spun their pick-up truck off the road, leaving him “scared” for his life. Ed said he had chosen to do the charity stunt in South East Asia - which has so far raised over £3,400 - to "challenge" himself in a non-english speaking country. And when he finally took his blindfold off three days later, he said it first felt like he was “on drugs” before he was left with a massive sense of relief. He said: “It was very weird when I finally took the blindfold off, almost like a hallucination experience. It was like I was on drugs, but after that, I was over the moon.” “But my sister gave me a lot of strength, knowing what I was doing was just a drop in the ocean of the life she has forged for herself in a world that’s not amenable to people without sight.” “She was in the forefront of everything I was doing. It was pretty special finding my feet in her world.” Ed, from the rural village of Moreton Pinkney, Northamptonshire, started his Challenge on July 11, near the town of Kanchanaburi, on the West of the country.