Hiking and disability: advice for experiencing adventure

“I would like to take my mother on the hiking trails”

My mother is hemiplegic following a stroke, and she suffers from her forced sedentary lifestyle. During the Paris half-marathon on March 8, 2026, people with disabilities took the start, accompanied by able-bodied runners. Some in armchairs, others almost lying on wheeled vehicles. Seeing them, I wondered if it was possible to take Mom on a hike. If yes, under what logistical and physical conditions?

Annette, 61 years old

The point of view of Blanche de Richemont, travel writer

Dear Annette, I often have the feeling that constraints push us to seek incredible resources within ourselves and to display extraordinary inventiveness. This is what you are doing in seeking to realize this beautiful dream: making stillness wandering; offer the great outdoors to your mother who is forced into a sedentary lifestyle.

Nowadays there are all-terrain chairs, light and easy to handle, designed for hiking, including the Joëlette, which has allowed thousands of people to go to natural spaces previously inaccessible to them. The best thing is to contact one of the many associations which organize outings throughout France.

With the agreement of her doctor, you could take your mother on the roads, helped by volunteers who are used to using these chairs and know the paths. Everyone who has had this experience tells of the joy of those in wheelchairs, their dazzlement, the solidarity that held them all together.

You could choose to go on the paths of Saint-Jacques to give this beautiful escape an extra touch of soul. And approach this adventure like pilgrims who walk against all odds, towards a little more light.