Summit for Someone
YOUR CLIMB IS THEIR FUTURE
Climb the mountain of your dreams while raising funds to support the transformative wilderness experiences that BCM provides for under-resourced youth. We offer climbs for all skill levels, whether you’re a first-time climber or an experienced mountaineer. Each climb is run by professional guides to ensure you have a great experience, and successful fundraisers also receive a gear package and multiple discount promotions to support their climbs thanks to our generous corporate sponsors. Check out the peaks that you can climb with the 2018 Summit for Someone program below!
For more information about how the Summit for Someone program supports youth programming at Big City Mountaineers, head to our Frequently Asked Questions page.
2018 Summit for Someone climbs
We have had wonderful interest in and support for the 2018 Summit for Someone program so far! Most scheduled climbs are now full or nearly full for the 2018 season, however the following trips each have space available:
Longs Peak II – Presidential Traverse
Do you have a separate adventure for summer 2018 that you’d like to add a fundraising element to? Consider putting together a custom SFS challenge in support of BCM’s youth programming! Please get in touch for more details.
Mount Shasta
June 8, 2018 - June 10, 2018
All of the spaces on the Mount Shasta trip have been filled. Please reach out to our Summit for Someone program coordinator to learn about other ways that you can be involved in 2018 and/or in future seasons!
Join BACKPACKER editor-in-chief Dennis Lewon on his favorite mountain for this special Summit for Someone trip. “I grew up backpacking near Shasta, and I love hiking, camping, and climbing on it,” says Lewon. “Over the years, I’ve climbed Shasta four times with Summit for Someone, and I can’t wait to get back there in 2018. It’s a special place.”
Standing just 250 feet shy of Rainier—and towering over 10,000 above the surrounding topography—Shasta is the second-highest peak in the Cascades and offers challenging routes for newbie mountaineers as well as experienced climbers. The snowy West Face is a great route for learning basic mountaineering skills, like using an ice axe and crampons, and is also a way to see the gorgeous Mount Shasta Wilderness.
Mount Hood
June 17, 2018 - June 18, 2018
All of the spaces on the Mount Hood trip have been filled. Please reach out to our Summit for Someone program coordinator to learn about other ways that you can be involved in 2018 and/or in future seasons!
Mount Hood is among the most-climbed glaciated peaks in North America, and for good reason. You’ll recognize Hood: its distinctive cone shape, along with the gorgeous Timberline Lodge at its base, appeared in Stanley Kubric’s classic film, The Shining. Unlike many of its Pacific Northwest neighbors, this 11,239-foot dormant stratovolcano—which, on a clear day, is visible from up to 100 miles away—is a reasonable single-day climb. Thanks to its easy approach and relatively low elevation, it’s an ideal destination for those looking to gain glacier travel experience in a less committed setting than many of the other Cascade Volcanoes.
The Grand Teton
July 6, 2018 - July 9, 2018
All of the spaces on this Grand Teton trip have been filled. Please reach out to our Summit for Someone program coordinator to learn about other ways that you can be involved in 2018 and/or in future seasons!
Countless climbers have been drawn to the jagged Teton skyline, and its centerpiece, the aptly named Grand Teton, is the most iconic summit of all. At 13,775 feet, the Grand is a classic mountaineering challenge: the climb covers 14 round-trip miles, 14,000 feet of elevation gain and loss, and tons of scrambling and technical fifth-class climbing. It’s also in the heart of gorgeous Grand Teton National Park, where you’ll experience the Wild West at its finest—think flower-filled meadows, possible bear sightings, and gnarly, fast-moving weather. A first stop on many mountaineers’ big mountain bucket list, a Grand Teton climb is an unforgettable experience. Listen to one climber’s 2017 SFS Grand Teton experience on the MtnMeister podcast!
Mount Baker
July 13, 2018 - July 15, 2018
All of the spaces on the Mount Baker trip have been filled. Please reach out to our Summit for Someone program coordinator to learn about other ways that you can be involved in 2018 and/or in future seasons!
Just east of Bellingham and visible from Seattle and the San Juan Islands, this young, active stratovolcano—the third-highest in Washington—is a major mountaineering destination. It’s among the most heavily glaciated peaks in the Cascades, and its serious annual snowfall (641 inches, with a record 95 feet in the 1998-99 season!) means it’s winter wonderland well into the spring. It’s also a great first outing for those looking to get into climbing volcanoes, thanks to some straightforward, nontechnical routes to its broad summit, not to mention the beauty of the Mount Baker Wilderness.
The Grand Teton II
July 16, 2018 - July 19, 2018
All of the spaces on the Grand Teton II trip have been filled. Please reach out to our Summit for Someone program coordinator to learn about other ways that you can be involved in 2018 and/or in future seasons!
Countless climbers have been drawn to the jagged Teton skyline, and its centerpiece, the aptly named Grand Teton, is the most iconic summit of all. At 13,775 feet, the Grand is a classic mountaineering challenge: the climb covers 14 round-trip miles, 14,000 feet of elevation gain and loss, and tons of scrambling and technical fifth-class climbing. It’s also in the heart of gorgeous Grand Teton National Park, where you’ll experience the Wild West at its finest—think flower-filled meadows, possible bear sightings, and gnarly, fast-moving weather. A first stop on many mountaineers’ big mountain bucket list, a Grand Teton climb is an unforgettable experience. Listen to one climber’s 2017 SFS Grand Teton experience on the MtnMeister podcast!
Longs Peak II
August 17, 2018 - August 19, 2018
One of Colorado’s best-known Fourteeners—peaks over 14,000 feet above sea level—Longs Peak is visible from nearly anywhere on the Front Range. It’s also the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park, and it boasts a famous first ascender, to boot: it was first climbed by a survey party led by Major John Wesley Powell, of Grand Canyon exploration fame. Routes on Longs Peak range from the third-class Keyhole Route to seriously technical rock routes on the Diamond, plus the ultra-classic Kieners Route—so it’s an ideal place to hone mountaineering skills. Mountaineering development will cover snow travel and mountain navigation.
There are currently 3 spaces remaining on Longs Peak II. Registration for this climb closes on June 17, 2018.
Longs Peak
August 24, 2018 - August 26, 2018
All of the spaces on this Longs Peak trip have been filled. Check out our second scheduled climb on Longs Peak for summer 2018, August 17-19!
One of Colorado’s best-known Fourteeners—peaks over 14,000 feet above sea level—Longs Peak is visible from nearly anywhere on the Front Range. It’s also the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park, and it boasts a famous first ascender, to boot: it was first climbed by a survey party led by Major John Wesley Powell, of Grand Canyon exploration fame. Routes on Longs Peak range from the third-class Keyhole Route to seriously technical rock routes on the Diamond, plus the ultra-classic Kieners Route—so it’s an ideal place to hone mountaineering skills. Mountaineering development will cover snow travel and mountain navigation.
Presidential Traverse Hut-to-Hut
September 8, 2018 - September 10, 2018
This classic and epic hut-to-hut backpacking trip, timed for beautiful weather and early fall foliage viewing, will have you scheming about your next trip back east. The three-day, 20-mile ridge climb includes summits of Mounts Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Monroe, Franklin, and Eisenhower, and it’s nearly all above treeline. This trek is also an opportunity to check out the Appalachian Mountain Club’s famous hut system, with two nights in these iconic accommodations along the way. A fall Presidential Traverse is a spectacular way to see the wild White Mountain National Forest as the leaves begin to change for the autumn season.
There is currently 1 space remaining on the Presidential Traverse hut-to-hut. Registration for this trip closes on June 8, 2018.
Mount Whitney
September 13, 2018 - September 15, 2018
All of the spaces on the Mount Whitney trip have been filled. Please reach out to our Summit for Someone program coordinator to learn about other ways that you can be involved in 2018 and/or in future seasons!
A few peaks come tantalizingly close, but Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous United States. It holds the distinction of being the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail, as well as being the site of the Smithsonian Institute Shelter, a former astrophysical observatory. All this means it’s among the most popular objectives in the US, but with more than 20 established routes to the summit—ranging from an easy, Class 1 trail to technical 5.10—there are plenty of ways to climb Whitney without blending into the crowd. The Mountaineers’ Route is far less congested than the trail from Whitney Portal, and is an excellent introduction to climbing at altitude.
resources for registered SFS climbers
If you have already registered for one of the scheduled Summit for Someone climbs listed above, click here for important information about your trip including: trip itineraries, gear and equipment lists, and participation waivers.