WE MADE IT!

We are proud to report that the Climb for Captives was an incredible success!  With the help of friends and family from all across the globe we were able to raise over $18,000 (donations are still coming in) to fight human trafficking and support the work that The Home Foundation is doing around the world.  In addition to exceeding our goal of raising $14,410, five of the six members of our team were able to reach the summit of Mt Rainier!  Here's a little overview of our epic adventure...

On Friday morning, July 4th, we set out from the White River trail head on the long hike to base camp.  With 60lb packs on our backs we made our way through the Glacier Basin and began the long, very long, ascent up the inter glacier to Camp Schurman, which is nestled on a ridge between two crevasse-ridden glaciers at 9,500 feet. The best part of Camp Schurman, besides the incredible view of the mountain, is the fact that it has a solar outhouse that was built for climbers by the National Park Service.  It may seem surprising that an outhouse is one of the highlights of the camp, but in places where such an amenity is not available, climbers are required to pack out EVERYTHING. 

We set up camp on the Winthrop Glacier and had our tents up just in time to get out of the rain, which continued to fall off and on for the rest of Friday evening.  Due to the conditions that night and the weather forecast for Saturday we decided not to make a summit attempt that night and instead spend the day getting acclimated to the thin alpine air and resting for the long climb ahead.  On Saturday morning Del and Jeremy spoke with a team of experienced climbers who had attempted to reach the summit the night before, but had turned back because the crevasses and snow conditions made the route to difficult to navigate. We also were told that no climbers had been able to find a route to the summit in three days. This of course was discouraging news.  After much deliberation, the decision was made to get an "early" start on Saturday night in hopes that the soft snow would ice over and make the route more stable, so at 11:30pm on Saturday night we set out for the summit of Mt. Rainier.

The night was long and the route meandered around crevasses and towering boulders of ice, but eventually we were able to find a way through and make our way to the summit.  We reached the top of Mt. Rainier at 8:30am after nine very long hours of climbing.  By that time the altitude had started taking a pretty significant toll on our bodies and we knew that the hot morning sun would compromise the stability of the route so we didn't have much time to linger.  We left the summit by 9am and spent the next eight hours making our way back to base camp and eventually back to the parking lot at the White River trail head.  By 9pm, a mere 12 hours after standing on top of Mt. Rainier, we were back home safe and sound reflecting on an experience that has impacted our lives in incredible ways.

Though we are excited about the accomplishment of reaching the summit, the greatest accomplishment for us is that on Independence Day of this year our friends and family stood with us in the fight against human trafficking.  From places like Dublin, London, and Jerusalem to Canada and the US, our community has taken a stand on behalf of the victims who do not share our freedom.  Together we have changed lives, restored hope, and made Independence Day a holiday with a message heard around the world.  Thank you for your support on this journey, we couldn't have done it without you! 

You should be receiving your tax deductible receipt in the mail shortly, but if you have any question please feel free to contact us at summit@climbforcaptives.com.

If you would still like to donate it's not to late! Checks can still be sent to The Home Foundation at the following address, just make sure to let them know that it is for Climb for Captives so that we are notified of your donation.

Check out the interview by Lobster Press