Program Overview
The Adventure of a Lifetime
Sign Up. Raise Funds. Get Gear. Go Climb. Do Good!
Mt. Rainier, Mt. Shasta, Gannett Peak, Mt. Whitney and Mt. Hood are just a few of the 16 most sought-after peaks in North America that beckon you to take the Summit for Someone challenge. They will test your mettle, expose your limits, and expand your boundaries. Anything life throws at you afterwards will seem feeble in comparison.
Summit for Someone will let you visit the most amazing natural environments on our planet, touch places where few have been and experience things most can only dream of. The diamond glint of sunrise at the top of the world, crystal clear alpine lakes, sheer canyon walls and the trickle of a hidden waterfall are just a few of the things you could be lucky enough to see!
Whether you want to climb demanding alpine routes, try your first ascent on a rope harness or just enjoy the camaraderie of friends on a non-technical ascent, Summit for Someone is your chance to show yourself and others what you're made of. Participating, however, will take complete commitment of the mind, body and spirit.
It starts with the spirit of giving.
Summiting may be the challenge of a lifetime for you, but it will also help overcome a lifetime of challenges for others.
To join this world-class event, you'll make a monetary pledge to Big City Mountaineers, a 501(c)3 non-profit, a volunteer-driven nonprofit that delivers life-changing outdoor experiences to hundreds of at-risk teens every year. Our unique curriculum improves their self-esteem, motivation, decision-making, and communication skills through wilderness expeditions.
Now in its 7th year, Big City Mountaineers' Summit for Someone™ is the #1 mountaineering fundraiser in the country, climbing 16 of the world’s premiere mountains to support the mission of Big City Mountaineers. Summit for Someone, owned by BCM, allows the organization to deliver programs that enhance the lives of under-resourced urban teens through transformative outdoor experiences.
Big City Mountaineers achieves its mission through weeklong wilderness expeditions pairing adults and teens in a one to one mentoring relationship. Summit For Someone, the primary fundraiser for BCM, generates opportunities for BCM’s young people to have life affirming experiences in the wilds of the Sierra Nevada in California, the Colorado Rockies, the North Cascades in Washington, and the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Money raised by Summit for Someone participants directly increases the number of teens we can take out each summer on wilderness trips.
In 2010, funds raised by Summit For Someone helped provide 37 wilderness expeditions for BCM teens from youth agencies across four regions, allowing them to experience:
- 37 weeklong wilderness trips in California, Colorado, the Boundary Waters, and the Pacific Northwest
- More than 2,000 nights spent sleeping under the stars
- Approximately 3,700 miles hiked
- Approximately 2,000 miles paddled and portaged
- Improvements in three core teen developmental categories: Commitment to Learning, Positive Values, and Positive Identity
You can support this worthy mission and climb in some of the world’s most beautiful outdoor settings. Here’s how:
- Choose your mountain and its associated pledge amount (we offer summits from $2900 alpine rock climbs to $8500 expeditions)
- Raise money to fulfill your pledge or just donate it yourself (we have a bunch of fundraising tools to help you, along with a personalized donation Web page for your appeal)
- Use the gift card you’ll get as a “thank you” from Mountain Gear to outfit yourself
- Summit for yourself… and summit for someone!
Your Summit for Someone pledge will help send at least five at-risk teens from across the country on a life-changing wilderness trip in the summer of 2011.
Picking your Climb.
Next up, you'll need to commit your mind to preparation by deciding which climb best fits you. Summit for Someone offers three categories of climbs -- alpine rock, glacier and expedition -- with challenges for every skill level. But sign up quickly, as the number of participants per climb is limited and we honor requests on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserving your space requires an initial deposit of $1,000, which you'll get back as soon as you meet your pledged amount (CLIMBER POLICIES).
Get Gear. Do Good!
As a "thank you" for your commitment and participation in Summit for Someone, you'll also receive a free mountaineering gear gift certificate from MountainGear.com. Depending on your pledge, you could go home with a mountain of gear!
All Glacier climbers will receive an $500 gift card to MountainGear.com to purchase appropriate gear for their climb. Gear recommendations will be provided on an SFS web page at MountainGear.com. In addition, glacier climbers will receive a JanSport pack, a Summit For Someone ice axe, SOLE footbeds, an SFS T-shirt, product from Clif Bar and a free one-year subscription to Backpacker.
Alpine Rock climbers will receive a $250 gift card to MountainGear.com. Gear recommendations will be provided on an SFS web page at MountainGear.com. In addition, alpine rock climbers will receive a JanSport pack, SOLE footbeds, an SFS T-shirt, product from Clif Bar and a free one-year subscription to Backpacker.
All Expedition climbers will receive a $1000 gift card to MountainGear.com to purchase appropriate gear for their climb. Gear recommendations will be provided on an SFS web page at MountainGear.com. In addition, expedition climbers will receive a JanSport pack, a Summit For Someone ice axe, SOLE footbeds, an SFS T-shirt, product from Clif Bar and a free one-year subscription to Backpacker.
Gear cards will be redeemable on MountainGear.com and will allow climbers to pick up the items they need for their Summit for Someone climb!
Finally, once you're accepted into the program, it's time to commit your body. You'll need to start training. In each of our climb sections, we've designed a training program to help put you on the right path to the top!
So come experience the joys of discovery and new heights of excitement. Summit for Someone promises to be the adventure of a lifetime.
DONATE | APPLY NOW
 | The climb was the best vacation I have ever taken. I feel that I am now hooked on mountaineering. --Hugh Parrish, Shasta 2008 |  |
