The American Alpine Club and The North Face are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2016 Live Your Dream grant. In total, $20,000 was awarded to 58 recipients from across the country. 

Congratulations to this year's recipients! We wish you all safe and successful adventures!

NORTHWEST REGION:

Samuel Bedell: Bend, OR: $400

Samuel, along with partner Nick Mestre, will attempt to climb the Southeast Ridge of Asperity in the Waddington Range, British Columbia, Canada. This route features 1600m of technical climbing with difficulties up to 5.10 A1 WI3. Samuel and Nick are looking to test themselves on this long climb, involving various styles, complex problem solving, and efficient movement in a remote setting.

Cat Coe: Missoula, MT: $200

Cat and partner will attempt multiple objectives throughout the Cascades, including Serpentine Crack and Freedom Rider on Liberty Bell, the East Face of Lexington Tower, and Infinite Bliss on Mt. Garfield, as well as The Grand Wall (5.11a, A0), Krimo Gold, Birds of Prey, and other multipitch routes at the 5.10-5.11 grades in Squamish.

Lawrence Davis: Roseburg, OR: $200 Mike Taormina: Eugene, OR: $200

Lawrence and Mike plan to travel to the Arrigetch Peaks, a remote group of granite spires within Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska. The stunning area is split by a two-mile ridgeline comprised of nine major summits, from Slot Tower southwest to Badile. During the month of July, 2016, they will attempt an alpine-style traverse of this sweeping knife-edge ridge and its peaks.

Nicole Gaines, Troutdale, OR: $200

Nicole and her husband Luke will spend ten days in July, 2016 exploring the Southern Picket Range. For years, the Pickets have been a place they talked of going “someday", "when we are good enough climbers." That someday is now, and their objectives include the MacMillen Spires, the East Towers, Inspiration, the Pyramid, Mt. Degenhardt, Mt. Terror, & the Chopping Block.

Mary Gianotti, Juneau, AK: $400

Mary’s climbing objectives include an unnamed and unclimbed peak on the remote Juneau Icefield in Alaska, while ski traversing 137.53 miles across the icefield with an 5-person team in a light and fast mountaineering style.

Nate Goodwin, Bozeman, MT: $400

Nate plans to make a 3 week trip into the Ruth Gorge and Tokositna glacier this Spring. His objectives include the SW ridge of Peak 11,300, Shaken Not Stirred on The Mooses Tooth, and the Harvard route on Mt Huntington.

Aaron Hanson, Sandpoint, ID: $200

Aaron’s grant will be used to finish, and possibly free, an aid route attempted by Karl Dietrich and partner up a steep, unclimbed portion of Wall Tower in the Leaning Towers area, Southeastern British Columbia.

Emily E Johnston, Leavenworth, WA: $200

In 8 consecutive days this July, Emily and Melissa Sher plan to complete what they call "The Columbia Trifecta": climbing Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Helens, riding our bicycles, without a support team, from one objective to the next.

Tiffany Larsen, Bend, OR: $200 Lauren Mork, Bend, OR: $200

Tiffany Larsen and Lauren Mork, will travel to Refugio Frey in Patagonia this coming winter. They plan to attept Imagínate (5.10/6a trad, 5 pitches), January 2017. Imagínate is at the upper-limit of their climbing ability, and through it, they will hone skills in multi-pitch traditional climbing.

Kimberley Palka, Seattle, WA: $200

Kimberley’s dream project is a tour of wall climbs. She will gain experience on Zion’s easier walls in a couple overnight attempts and a single day attempt, then relocate to the Fisher Towers for a one day ascent of the Titan.

Greg Sievers, Bozeman, MT: $200

Greg, along with his partners, are headed for Mount Robson in the Canadian Rockies to climb the Kane Face regular route. All four of their team have had Mt. Robson on their bucket list for over twenty years.

Chris Simmons, Seattle, WA: $300

Chris and his partner will spend two weeks exploring the WWI history and climbing in the Marmolada and Sella Mountains of Alta Adige/Sud Tirol, Italy. Their ultimate route goals include the Vinatzer-Castiglioni Route on the South Face of the Marmolada (29 pitches, 5.10b) and the Fedele or the Dibona Routes on the NW Face of Sass Pordoi (both 24 pitches, 5.6).

Kelly Thomas, Portland, OR: $200

Kelley and partner are set on climbing the CMC route on Mt Moran. This is a 5 pitch trad route on Mt Moran (3,842 m) in the Tetons, Wyoming. This is the most climbed route on Mt Moran, however it still sees little traffic.

Szu-ting Yi, Redmond, WA: $200

Szu-ting plans to make the First Free Ascent of Orion's Reflection in the Cathedral Cirque area of the Wind River Range, WY.

WESTERN REGION:

Amy Bannon: Prescott, AZ: $500

Amy’s objective is to embark on an entirely self-supported climbing trip through the beautiful northern highlands of Scotland. Once landed in Glasgow, she and her climbing partner will travel by bicycle to the northern coast where they will attempt four of the most beautiful and iconic sea stacks.

Nicholas Bourdon: San Diego, CA: $450

Frader Pisafe (aka Salvaterra) is a 1500' tall 5.10+ in Patagonia involving a lot of crack climbing. Nicholas will be driving his motorcycle from Alaska to Argentina and is planning on climbing at least 1 route in each state (US), province (Canada), and country that he passes through, culminating in Frader Pisafe. At a minimum, he will climb 29 different routes.

Bradford Buter: Los Angeles, CA: $400

Bradford seeks out alpine climbing in the Ruth Gorge area of Denali NP, with the ultimate objective being the Harvard Route on Mt. Huntington.

John Greer: Modesto, CA: $400

The objective of John’s trip is to successfully climb a new line on Atlantis Wall in the Sonora Pass area of California. This wall is located on Broad Dome and climbs one thousand feet out of Donnell reservoir. Currently, there are only a few existing routes on the wall.

Tad McCrea: Larkspur, CA: $500

Tad holds his dream as the magnificent North Ridge of Monte San Valentine, off the northern icecap of Chilean Patagonia. San Valentine is the highest point in Patagonia, and the mighty unclimbed northern aspect sports a daunting 8,000ft of steep technical terrain. Tad plans to carry up-and-over the mountain and packraft out the Valle Exploradores from the western edge of the icecap.

Vitaliy Musiyenko: San Francisco, CA $400

Vitaliy’s plan is to climb the Fitz Roy via the striking North Pillar, also known as the Goretta Pillar. Since both of he and his partner like to explore rather than conquer, they hope to climb the peak via a less frequently attempted route - Mate Porro y Todo los Demas. It was completed to the summit recently, in 2011.

Bernadette Regan: Joshua Tree, CA: $500

Bernadette’s dream is to complete the first free ascent of the West Buttress of the Golden Klattasine in the Waddington Range of BC, Canada. She intends to climb alpine-style and install no additional hardware.

Buck Yedor: Oakland, CA: $450

Buck Yedor is planning on traveling to the Gran Sabana of southeastern Venezuela to attempt to put up a new big wall free climb on Acopan Tepui. Acopan Tepui is known for its steep, often times overhanging bullet hard sandstone walls. The featured sandstone lends itself to hard free climbing protected by traditional climbing gear.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION:

Ben Ammon: Arvada, CO: $200

Ben Ammon will use his climbing and mountaineering experiences to take on the mountains in South America! His main aspiration is to send the French Direct route on Alpamayo and the Northeast face of Artesonraju. As he acclimatizes and trains for these mountains, he will tackle some of the more manageable peaks in Peru. His trip will culminate with these two proud ascents.

James Bachhuber: Denver, CO: $600

In the mountains of Japan, Shugendo monks, like alpinists, use cold, hunger, and feats of endurance to cultivate awareness. In January 2017, like the Shugendo monks, James and his team will also practice at a Shugendo temple.   They will spend seven days in a sacred valley beneath Mt. Kaikomagatake climbing remote ice routes including O-ren-dani right fork (1200m), Tanuki Suicide (WI5-, M4+, 120m) among others. This time will be a test of physical and mental fortitude while also weaving the subtle nuances of training the mind, body, and soul.  

Eleanor Barber: Aspen, CO: $250

Eleanor will be pushing her physical limits with a summit of Mount Rainier and a ski descent.   This ski mountaineering trip will take place this spring as she tackles one of the highest mountains in the lower 48 states. After summiting this 14,410 foot peak with her skis, she will the put them on to ski back down this big mountain.

Mario Davidson: Nederland, CO: $300

Andy Esparza, Mario Davidson, and Mark Touchstone are going to the Cochamo Valley in Chile to establish a new route on a big wall. They will spend this next year, training for and acquiring the confidence, strength, and technical skills needed for navigating this new terrain. An objective of this magnitude is pushing their personal limits which in turn pushes the limits of climbing in general and in-turn, opens new routes for future climbers.

Taylor Dickinson: South Jordan, UT: $450

As part of the School for International Expedition Training, Taylor will be joining the Ishinca Valley Expedition. For 21 days, Taylor will be training in self and partner rescue, professional development as guides, as well as glacial travel and effective alpine climbing. The course will culminate in attempts of four peaks, including Tocllaraju (~20,000') and Ranrapalca (~20,000'). Taylor’s new skills will undoubtedly provide him with new skills and safety techniques that will touch other’s lives and perpetuate safe climbing ethics and knowledge for tackling big objectives such as these.

Tom Forestieri: Longmont, CO: $250

Tom will be living his dream of climbing the Beckey-Chouinard route on the South Howser Tower in the Bugaboos. This alpine style classic is a coveted summit for almost any climber, which challenges everything from planning to fitness to technical rock climbing skills in order to achieve this goal.

John Kelley: Colorado Springs, CO: $250

John Kelley aspires to do a one-day link up of three classic Sedona Towers (Coyote Tower, Sedona Scenic Cruise, and The Mace) using mountain bikes as the sole means of transportation. This ultimate fitness challenge will involve John and his climbing partners to travel via bike between the peaks, over many miles of technical, mountain biking terrain, carrying all of their gear and provisions. They will leave their bikes to begin climbing routes to summit and link the three towers, climbing technical routes up to the grade of 5.10d! This challenge will put their endurance, power, and technical climbing skills to the test!

Mallory Lambert: Layton, UT: $300

Mallory and her climbing partner seek to travel to the Codrillera Blance in Peru. They aspire to climb the Original Route (5.10+ 2000') on La Esfinge (The Sphinx) in Valle Paron, an enormous granite formation in the Paron Valley. These climbing partners will share leads to summit this challenging wall. Mallory’s goal is not only to push her physical limits and technical skills, but also mentally push herself to take more responsibility in climbing and trust in her abilities as a lead climber. She will apply everything she knows about climbing to tackle this coveted objective!

Mark Pugliese: Salt Lake City, UT: $650

Mark and his climbing partner are traveling to the Rolwaling Valley of Nepal. Here they will attempt 2 first ascents in the Himalayas. One of the routes goes up the west face of Chugimago (6259m), while the other may go on either the south face or SE ridge of Kang Nachugo (6735m). Navigating in some of the biggest mountains in the world, and establishing new lines is a lofty aspiration for any climber, and opens routes for many climbers to come.

Marc Ripperger: Albequerque, NM: $700

Marc will be traveling to the Cordillera Blance in Peru to climb the Original Route on La Esfinge (The Sphinx) in Valle Paron. After first learning about this route about 8 years ago, La Esfinge has been a dream for Marc to travel to Peru to summit. This notoriously sandbagged route involves climbing about 20 pitches up to 5.11c. This large granite, feature tops out at 17,470 ft. with 3,000 ft. of climbing in a one day push!

Zachary Snavely: Lander, WY: $300

Zach’s adventure includes planning, training, and completing, his first international alpine climbing expedition! His objective includes traveling to Bugaboo Provincial Park in British Columbia to attempt the several classic alpine lines. He will be putting

Brian Sparks: Moab, UT: $300

Brian is doing a ski mountaineering ascent and decent of Mt. Rainier via the Fuhrer Finger Route from Paradise on June 2nd, cross the Nisqually Glacier and ascend the Wilson Glacier to camp at 9200m. This is something will challenge Brian and take his ski mountaineering to the next level.

CENTRAL REGION:

Colten Moore: Marquette, MI: $300

Colten will take the cold weather suffering and ice climbing skills he has honed on the south shore of Lake Superior to the massive Lake Baikal in Siberian Russia. There he and his team will tour the frozen lake on fat bikes in search of new ice routes on Lake Baikal’s northwest shore.

Andrew Clift: Rapid City, SD: $250

Andrew and his partner are travelling to the Bugaboos to climb four classic routes: The West Ridge of Pigeon Spire (III 5.4), The Northeast Ridge of Bugaboo Spire (IV 5.8), The Beckey-Chouinard on South Howser Tower (IV 5.10), and The Sunshine Crack on Snowpatch Spire (IV 5.11). Andrew is looking forward to the opportunity to engage in the entire process of planning and completing a major trip of this nature. 

Jane Horth: Houston, TX: $250

Jane and her partner will also be travelling to the Bugaboos to attempt a pair of routes: Solitary Confinement on Prince Alpert Spire (III 5.11), and The Northeast Ridge of Bugaboo Spire (IV 5.8). Having climbed extensively on large objectives in the Desert Southwest and California, Jane is looking to take those skills to an alpine environment.

Sean Buehler: Carmel, IN: $200

Currently a Wilderness EMT, Sean is looking to take the next step in his dream of earning a degree in Wilderness Medicine. For him, that step involves a four-to-five day training ascent of the Cooper Spur on Mt. Hood (III), where he will learn and practice skills for navigating snowy peaks as well as receiving behavioral emergency training.

Lewis Billingsley: Jena, LA: $200

Lewis has a love for big, snowy and remote mountains. Since 2014 he has been acquiring the skills and knowledge required to take them on. The next step in his progression will take him to South America, where he will attempt the French Direct on Alpamayo (WI2).

Don Wargowsky: Cutler, OH: $200

Don and his teammates are heading to Nepal to complete unguided ascents of Island Peak and the Southwest Ridge of Ama Dablam without Sherpa support. This expedition will, in Don’s words, “…be the culmination of all the skills that I have built through climbing, trip leading, and traveling internationally [and] will be the highlight of my climbing career.”

Joshua Cronk: Novi, MI: $200

Josh and his brother have a long term goal of climbing El Cap. To that end they are planning on travelling to the Pacific Northwest, where they will attempt several multi-pitch routes in order to begin building the necessary experience. They in tend to visit the Goat Wall in Mazama, WA where they will attempt Prime Rib of Goat (III 5.9) and possibly Sisyphus (III 5.11a). From there they will head to Smith Rock in Oregon where they will attempt to summit the Monkey Face.

Clayton Ernst: Austin, TX: $200

Clayton and his partner are heading to Zion National Park, in Utah to attempt Touchstone (V 5.9 C2). For them this is a stepping stone to bigger walls and bigger mountains. They chose Zion, and specifically Touchstone, for both aesthetic and practical reasons. On their trip they will practice their aid and wall climbing skills in an amazing setting.

Erin Lynch: Ann Arbor, MI: $200

Erin has proven herself on long and difficult sport routes, but now the iconic beauty of Devil’s Tower and its El Matador (III 5.10d) have drawn her to expand her trad climbing skills. Erin will travel to Wyoming and attempt to climb this classic line.

Morgan Smith: College Station, TX: $200

Morgan and his partner plan to travel to El Potrero Chico in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. There, they intend on completing an extension to the classic Super Nova (III 5.11a). In the process they hope to make the first ascent of not just their extension but also the formation which it will ascend. In the process they hope to gain experience in hauling, extended wall-life, ground-up bolting, and the techniques and effort required to open a classic line.

NORTHEAST REGION:

Alissa Doherty: Boston, MA: $300

Alissa’s main objective is to climb Goldfinger in the Ruth Gorge of Alaska. She has been dreaming of Alaska since first seeing Bradford Washburn's incredible images of the Ruth Gorge. After a failed attempt last year due to poor weather conditions, Alissa is ready for another shot at this iconic climb.

Heather Hudson: Providence, RI: $400

Heather’s objective is to hike into the Deep Lake area of the Wind River Range, Wyoming, and climb the Southwest Arete of Lost Temple Spire. Her motivation? To shed the dependence her and her partner have had on their significant others and more experienced climbers to lead the way. They have decided it is time to put their skills to the test and lead themselves into the role of leader. They are ready and confident to take on this challenge head on, sans dudes. Good luck ladies!

Ethan Berman: Cambridge, MA: $250

Ethan’s main objective is to climb classic routes in the Bugaboos with his sister, Nina, hoping to establish a new alpine route in the region making it their first “sibling” first ascent. They have both been training incessantly through traditional climbing in both Red Rocks and Zion. They have established numerous ascents in the area and are hoping to break into a new realm together in the environment that they are both most connected to, alpine rock. Above all else, they are hoping in addition to becoming stronger climbers, they also develop a stronger bond between them as siblings.

Andrew Blease: Glen, NH: $400

As a previous winner of the LYD grant, Andrew was shut down on his trip to climb in RMNP by a late winter snowstorm. After a year of training hard in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Andrew is ready to give it another go in his dream of alpine climbing and ski mountaineering. This trip is one step in achieving his long term goals of exploring alpine climbs in areas like Chamonix, Alaska and South America.

Devin Farkas: Canton, NY: $1000

“If your climbing dreams don’t scare you, dream bigger.” This is the mantra of Devin Farkas who’s dream is to climb the Beckey-Chouinard Route, West buttress, South Howser Tower in Bugaboo Provincial Park, Alberta Canada. According to him this is the culmination of his path as a climber and hopes that it will act as a launching point for his future. After years of overcoming boundaries in his climbing career, Devin is confident that this objective will establish new horizons for him in the future.

Michael Posner: Plainville, CT: $450

Two years ago, Michael was diagnosed with stage 1 colon cancer, news that would cripple the majority of us. Michael decided to let it be a launching point to change his life for the better. While tackling summits in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the dream of climbing his first “fourteener” started to become more evident and achievable. That is why his objective is to tackle Grays Peak in Colorado, the highest peak in the Front Range. With this he strives to not only maintain his newly found healthy lifestyle, but also be a role model for positive change in others.

James Voorhis: Center Conway, NH: $500

James and his climbing partner Chris dream of summiting both Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy in their first season in Patagonia. Claiming to thrive when they dream big, they have proven nothing but just that in their time together. Since their first push up the West Face of the Leaning Tower to their epic four-day ascent on El Cap, they both have coached and supported each other down the road that they hope will propel their climbing skills, as well as their partnership into new terrain.

SOUTHEAST REGION:

Brian Barwatt: Sylvia, NC: $600

Brian and his partner will attempt to climb Quitaraju via the North Face and Alpamayo via the French Direct route in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru.

Amanda Ellis: Wake Forest, NC: $400

Amanda’s goal is to travel to one of the world’s greatest alpine playgrounds to ascend the North East Ridge of Bugaboo Spire.

Josh Kraft: Chesapeake, VA: $400

Josh’s objective is to summit the Grand Teton in Wyoming, a climb he has long dreamt of doing, but was unable to pursue due to health problems until now.

Alex Marine: Washington, DC: $500

Alex will attempt to establish new free routes on the Cloud Peak massif and surrounding mountains in the Bighorns of Wyoming using traditional methods and gear. Alex will establish a base camp at the base of Cloud Peak and explore all aspects for ~10 days, focusing primarily on unclimbed or less climbed faces.

Kyle Sox: Columbia, SC: $600

Kyle and his partner Scott will attempt a first ascent traverse of the 11+ mile Wind River Crest from Indian Pass to Pedestal col. in a single, week-long push to link the highest, unbroken skyline in Wyoming.

April 30, 2015, Golden, CO—The American Alpine Club (AAC) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2015 Live Your Dream grant, powered by The North Face. This year we were able to fund 84 dream projects by individuals looking to push their limits and realize their climbing ambitions.

Founded in 2012, the Live Your Dream grant is the first national grant program to support and promote unforgettable experiences for climbers—specifically, experiences that provide the skills and confidence to realize one's climbing ambitions; to dream big, to grow as climbers, and to inspire others. The program was born from the idea that the most important climbs out there are our own. In support of adventure and personal growth, the AAC provides seed money to individuals or small teams—of all disciplines, ages, and abilities—who have ambitions to build skills and confidence and expand their climbing horizons.

The North Face is a national partner and supporter of the American Alpine Club and the Live Your Dream grant. Additionally, the grant is made possible in part through the following local supporters: Mount Washington Valley Ice Festival, Touchstone Climbing & Fitness, and the Kidder Aspiring Alpinist Award.

In total the AAC's 2015 Live Your Dream grant received a record-breaking 681 applications. Six regional volunteer committees awarded 84 grants, totaling over $50,000. The recipients and their dream projects are outlined below.

2015 Recipients


WESTERN REGION:


Lucas Barth: Ukiah, CA: $200

Lucas has spent the last four years in and out of Yosemite National Park developing his skills—and in doing so he has climbed many of the classic lines in Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows. His dream has evolved into developing his own lines, adding his vision to the long legacy of Yosemite climbing. Specifically, Barth will focus his attention on first ascents in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and Peak 11,357. His backcountry, multi-pitch first ascents will follow a ground-up ethic.

Nilo Batle: San Francisco, CA: $400

Nilo will be traveling to Arco, Italy to complete in the IFSC Youth Bouldering World Cup from August 28 through September 6, 2015. When Nilo began climbing three years ago, his only goal was to impress a girl and win her affection. This year, on a whim, he decided to compete in his first ABS season and, to his surprise, qualified for Nationals where he placed fourth in the Male A group, thus qualifying him to compete in the World Cup.

Tara Bhuthimethee: Dublin, CA: $200

Tara will be heading to Wyoming to attempt the Grand Teton Lower & Upper Exum routes as well as the Durrance route on Devil's Tower. Both routes will challenge her—in length, difficulty, and style. She hopes to apply skills she has developed in the gym and at her local crags to these larger, more committing objectives. Ultimately, she looks to move onto even more ambitious big-wall and alpine climbs.

Brett Bloxom: Bishop, CA: $500

Brett will take his skills to the next level by traveling to the Howser Towers of the Bugaboos with the main objective of All Along The Watchtower on North Howser Tower. His goal is to free climb as much of the route as possible, completing the route in a single push. Other trip objectives include an ascent of the Minaret, a sub peak of South Howser Tower. This trip will take the skills he has developed in the mountains, crags, and boulders of the Eastern Sierra and apply them in one of the premier alpine settings in North America.

Ian Bolliger: Berkeley, CA: $500

Ian's dream trip unites mountaineering with skiing objectives. Ian will travel to Alaska to attempt the Cassin Ridge on Denali, spending time acclimatizing and skiing the slopes and couloirs around 14k camp. One specific ski objective is the Orient Express. This ascent of Denali and technical ski descents combine skills built through numerous past experiences in the Sierra Nevada and North Cascades.

Peter Carey: Bakersfield, CA: $300

Peter has the goal of completing the portion of the Palisade Traverse that stretches from Thunderbolt Peak to Mt. Sill in a single, one-day push. With the ultimate goal of completing all 15 of California's 14,000-foot peaks, Thunderbolt–Sill encompasses the most difficult and technical terrain. This trip will require all of the skills Peter has developed and will challenge him both technically and mentally.

Miguel Diaz: Prescott, AZ: $200

Miguel's objective is an ascent of Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park via the Casual Route. Dreaming of bigger, longer alpine routes, climbing the Diamond represents a stepping-stone in his climbing experience and personal progression. He will be applying the skills he has been developing on Sedona's sandstone spires to the committing alpine environment of the Rocky Mountains.

Jonathan Foley: San Francisco, CA: $500

Jonathan built his climbing skills at the East coast crags of Rumney, the Gunks, the Red River Gorge, and the New River Gorge. After moving west and experiencing the climbing in the Eastern Sierra, Yosemite, and Tahoe, Jonathan has come to view the alpine environment as the testing ground to apply his climbing skills and progress to longer, more challenging objectives. Jonathan will travel to the Wind River Range of Wyoming to attempt the Northeast Face of Pingora Peak and the Wolf's Head routes located in the Cirque of the Towers.

Logan Fusso: Reno, NV: $250

Logan has always dreamed of establishing his own routes. To fulfill this objective, Logan will travel to the Selkirk Mountains in the Valhalla Range to explore technical route development in a difficult-to-reach area north of Mt. Gimli. He has developed his skills significantly in some of America's hardest testing grounds: the Cascades, Yosemite's big walls, splitter cracks in Canyonlands, and highballs in Bishop. The similarity between all these experiences is that he was climbing someone else's routes. This new experience in route development will lead Logan to the next level in his climbing career and open the door for him to take his skills into the greater ranges.

Chelsea Gelbart: Mill Valley, CA: $600

Chelsea intends to travel to the Graian Alps of Europe to summit Mt. Blanc via the L'aiguille du Grouter route. Chelsea has only been climbing seriously for one year. This trip will require all of the skills she has accumulated sport climbing in the Owen's River Gorge, trad climbing in the granite of Tahoe, and mountaineering in and around Mt. Shasta. Mt. Blanc will be her first 15,000' peak.

Allyson Gunsallus: Pacifica, CA: $600

Allyson dreams of climbing long, technical routes in South America. In December, she will head to Southern Patagonia to attempt Aguja Guillamet, a tower in the Chalten massif. She has been building her skillset in Yosemite sending routes on Washington Column and El Capitan. To help prepare for Patagonia, she will continue to train in a more alpine setting with objectives in the Eastern Sierra, Mt. Baker, Mt. Shasta, and Rainier. This dream trip to the Fitz Roy will push her into new, unknown terrain, and open up a new world of technically and logistically difficult alpine climbing.

Lars Hedin: Santa Barbara, CA: $350

Lars has been dreaming of his personal, ultimate test piece: climbing The Nose and the Salathe Wall on Yosemite Valley's El Capitan. For the past two years he has been training and building his skills on the South Face and the Prow of Washington Column, the West Face of Leaning Tower; on dozens of long free climbs; on hundreds of laps on the local Santa Barbara bolt ladder. During this learning period he has overcome numerous challenges on the wall, endured two broken ankles, and suffered through numerous dawn patrols. He finally feels ready to apply these skills to the Captain, and ultimately, to longer, more difficult routes in the future.

Eric Hengesbaugh: La Mesa, CA: $300

Eric will travel to the Eastern Sierra and fully plunge himself into the world of alpine climbing. The Palisades beckon him with longer and harder routes than anything he has previously experienced. Further, he will spend a month attempting the classic and hidden first ascents of Sierra pioneer Don Jensen, a late family relative, and will attempt to relive one of Don's last summers in the Sierra. Eric's dream combines pushing his climbing skills into new terrain, uncovering some lost Sierra climbing history, and retracing a family member's legacy.

Diana Hitchen: Tahoe Vista, CA: $200

Diana seeks to improve her climbing technique, focusing on sandstone splitter cracks in the desert of Southern Utah, by attempting three challenging towers on the Bridger Jack Mesa: Thunderbolts on Easter Island, the East Face of Sunflower Tower, and Wild West Show on Hummingbird Spire. These routes are technically harder than any climb she has attempted before and, coming from a mainly granite-based climbing career, these climbs represent stepping further into uncharted sandstone territory.

Nathan Kalish: Tempe, AZ: $400

Nathan, a desert rat from Tempe, Arizona, seeks experience in the alpine environment. He will travel to the Bugaboos to attempt the Beckey-Chouinard route on South Howser Tower with smaller, secondary objectives filling out his time in the mountains. He ultimately dreams of climbing in Patagonia, and experiencing glacial travel and more committing and remote routes in the Bugaboos will act as a logical stepping stone in his personal progression.

Paul Koubek: Yosemite, CA: $650

In 2014, Paul was awarded a Live Your Dream grant to develop his ice-climbing skills in Ouray with the specific objective of climbing WI4 routes and a greater, ultimate objective of traveling to the Ruth Gorge in Alaska to apply his rock and new ice skills in a serious alpine testing ground. Since then Paul has furthered his ice climbing skills, completing WI5+ routes. He will combine these experiences with those he has learned as a longtime Yosemite Search and Rescue team member to head to Alaska's Mooses Tooth on the Ruth Gorge to attempt Shaken Not Stirred and Ham and Eggs.

Kate McHugh: Tucson, AZ: $400

Kate's objective is to learn aid and big-wall climbing techniques with the goal of progressing to a higher technical level of climbing in an alpine environment. As an Outward Bound mountaineering instructor with 14 years of climbing experience, she has progressed from sport climbing to trad climbing easily enough, but lacks the complex problem solving and skill set required for big-wall aid climbing. She will travel to Zion National Park to attempt Space Shot (IV 5.7 C2), Moonlight Buttress (5.8 C2), Touchstone Wall (V 5.9 C2), Tricks of the Trade (VI 5.10+ C2+), and Desert Shield (V 5.11a C3). Each of these routes will represent her learning progress as she works from 5.8 C2 to 5.11a C3.

Hari Mix: Palo Alto, CA: $850

Hari will travel to the Karakoram to attempt Broad Peak (8047m), Gasherbrum I (8068m), and Gasherbrum II (8035m) climbing as a team of two with partner Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, all without supplemental oxygen. This expedition represents the nexus of high alpine skills and altitude experience he has developed through five expeditions to the Himalaya, Tien Shan, and Pamier. This trip provides Hari the opportunity to assemble his skill set and apply it to technical routes like the Japanese Couloir on Gasherbrum I in alpine style.

Alix Morris: Irvine, CA: $350

Alix's dream and objective is to travel to the Bugaboos and send All Along the Watchtower on North Howser Tower in a single day push. She has been building and developing her climbing and alpine skills across varied terrain in locations such as Yosemite Valley, Red Rocks, the High Sierra, and Squamish. All Along the Watchtower will test her abilities to climb light and fact and as free as possible on remote big walls in the mountains. With this trip she hopes to gain more experience on mountainous terrain and take those skills into the greater ranges of Patagonia in the winter of 2015/16, and in the future, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Greenland, and Baffin.

Tomasz Podkanowicz: Sunnyvale, CA: $300

Tomasz has long dreamed of climbing all of California's 14,000' peaks. To this end, he has completed all but the toughest section: the Thunderbolt to Mt. Sill traverse in the Palisades of the Sierra Nevada. He has worked hard to get comfortable on exposed rock, developing trad leading skills to 5.10+ with some ascents of various multi-pitch routes in Yosemite Valley. After completing the California 14ers, Tomasz seeks the next level in his personal climbing progression: routes in the North Cascades and Teton range.

Bernadette Regan: Joshua Tree, CA: $600

Bernadette will travel to the Waddington Range of British Columbia, Canada to complete the first free ascent of the West Buttress of the Golden Klattasine. She intends to climb alpine-style and will install no fixed hardware. With little available route information, the Klattasine represents the most remote and committing objective Bernadette has yet faced. It will require a culmination of skills in both technical rock climbing and alpine adventuring and sits as the next progressive step in her personal climbing career.

Alex Rosenthal: Berkeley, CA: $700

Alex will fly to Argentina's Andes mountain range to attempt the challenging Polish Direct route on Aconcagua. This route represents a climbing progression which began with Sierra 14ers, enveloped multiple routes on Mt. Shasta, saw him to the top of Rainier, to summits in the German Alps, and finally to Denali. Expanding on this path, the Polish Direct route on Aconcagua will challenge his abilities and help him identify weaknesses in his skill set. He looks to ultimately tackle major objectives in the greater ranges.

Jordan Shackelford: Oakland, CA: $300

Primarily a boulderer, but harboring alpine ambitions, Jordan dreams of climbing the Evolution Traverse in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in one-push, alpine-style, as fast as possible. While Jordan has developed strong climbing skills and sent V10 boulder problems, he has little experience on alpine rock—save a few ascents around Tuolumne and elsewhere. He seeks to test himself on what Peter Croft has called, “way harder than climbing El Cap in a day," and also, “the best ridge traverse I have ever done." Long, serious, and requiring both skills and speed, the Evolution Traverse is a perfect aspiration for a strong boulderer looking to move into serious alpine environments.

Sarah Steele: Oakland, CA: $450

Sarah Steele will attempt the Swiss Route on Les Courtes in Chamonix in the Fall of 2015. This route represents a significant step up in her climbing progression, being both more sustained in difficulty and longer than any climb she has previously attempted. She will be applying her significant experience in ice climbing, rock climbing, and bouldering to accomplish her goal. Ultimately she hopes this trip will open her eyes to greater possibilities mountaineering in the greater ranges.

Brandon Thau: Santa Maria, CA: $850

Brandon will travel to the Gangotri region of the Northern Indian Himalaya with the goal of establishing a free ascent of the West Pillar of Bhagirathi III. His new free route will roughly follow the Catalan line called Impossible Star. This climb on Bhagirathi III features a 3,000' granite wall capped by a 600' alpine ice climb to the summit. While Brandon has extensive climbing experience—he's tacked over 24 grade V/VI ascents in Yosemite (13 of them in a single push)—this will be his first expedition to the greater ranges of the Himalaya and his first time climbing at 6,000m+. This climb will build off his past experiences of big-wall climbing and open the doors to further expeditions and route development in remote, committing locations.

Bob Thompson: Santa Monica, CA: $500

Bob will head to Bugaboos Provincial Park in British Columbia to attempt to climb the Becky-Chouinard route on South Howser Tower and the Northeast Ridge on Bugaboo Spire. Bob has been working hard the past few seasons to become comfortable leading trad routes and has developed his skills to the 5.9/5.10 level. This trip will test his leading abilities in a more committing alpine environment.

Keegan Wilson: Reno, NV: $300

Keegan and partner Ben Brunsvold will travel to Bugaboo Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada to attempt the Becky-Choiunard, the Sunshine Crack, and the North Summit Direct on Snowpatch Spire. They are also seeking to explore more remote peaks such as Wallack Peak, Mount Kelvin, and Howser Peak. This trip will allow Keegan to gain more experience in glacial approaches while attempting long, committing alpine rock routes. In 2016 he is planning a trip to Baffin Island with an attempt on Mt. Asgard and a possible FA attempt on Mt. Northumbria. This trip is a stepping-stone to his aspiration to climbing alpine rock north of the Arctic Circle and in the Karakoram.




NORTHWESTERN REGION:


Toby Butterfield and Katie Mills: Portland, OR: $300 (each)

Toby and Katie are off to Colorado to climb the Casual Route on the Diamond in Rocky Mountain National Park. Originally from Tennessee, Katie has been eyeballing the high peaks of Colorado early on and will be joining her partner Toby back in his home state.

Jenn Carter, Carolyn Graham, Leigh Ann Wolf and Meredith Trainor: Seattle, WA: $500 (each)

The Denali Girls have been working and training hard in the Cascades for the highest peak in North America. Individually accomplished in mountaineering, this strong team has been enjoying working together and coordinating group expedition roles on this all-woman team.

Emilie Cortes: Bend, OR: $500

Changing her professional course midstream, Emilie launched a guiding company that helped others achieve their dreams. Now it's her turn to get on a route she's been wanting to do for the last 10 years: climbing Mt. Blanc from the Chamonix side.

Matthew Farrell: Bend, OR: $650

Matt has been climbing in Yosemite Valley for over a decade and has contributed a lot of volunteer work to his home crag of Smith Rock. His goal is to link the whole Cathedral Spires ridgeline starting on the Lower Spire and finishing by rapping down the Regular Route of the Upper Spire.

Nicolas Frazee: Bozeman, MT: $1,000

During a 2014 ice-climbing trip into the Rolwaling Valley of the Nepalese Himalaya, Nicolas spotted the south face of Chobutse (6,686m). After recent trips to Canada and Alaska he's ready for a first ascent attempt in the Himalaya.

Spencer Hennigan: Victor, ID: $500

Spencer and his fiancée have traveled the world as educators and guides, and it's time to tie the knot. They've chosen to do the ceremony on the Grand Teton with their mutual best friend as the officiant, and we're happy to be a part of it! Save us some cake you guys.

Ezekial Hocking: Oak Harbor, WA: $300

Ezekial is turning 16 this year and is focusing his youth and energy towards the mountains with an ascent of the classic West Ridge of Forbidden Peak in Washington's North Cascades.

Rachel James: Missoula, MT: $500

Rachel returns to the Avellano Valley of Chile with her partner Natalie with “more gear (namely pitons and a hammer), more mango pisco (self-explanatory) and more time (one month)" and will be producing an 80's rock video to document their new routes on the granite walls. Venga chicas!

Jon Jantz: Spokane, WA: $1,000

Jon has recently returned to the mountains in earnest and is picking up where he left off. He dreamed of a big traverse and will live his dream of travelling through vast icy stretches of the North Country by starting from the Pacific Ocean, and ending up on the Alaska Highway in the Canada's Yukon Territory via Wrangell St. Elias National Park.

Meghan Kahnle: Boise, ID: $350

Meghan is an artist who wants to challenge herself by leading, from ground to summit, the West Face Variation on the Monkey Face at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon. During her trip she'll be creating an art piece and social media campaign that will help fundraise for the park.

Jason Luthy: Sandpoint, ID: $750

As an educator Jason spends much time teaching students outdoor skills. He wants to again experience the challenge of a personal expedition and has carved out a couple of weeks to chase down the standard route on the Lotus Flower Tower in the Northwest Territories.

Johan Ugander, Stephanie Safdi: Seattle, WA: $400 (each)

Robley Williams was a member of the 1964 Arrigetch expedition, one of Johan's teachers in college, and his stories inspired this effort for this husband-and-wife team to explore and establish new lines on the Arthur Emmons massif in Northern Alaska. Their main objective will be a pure rock FA of Arthur Emmons' West Ridge.

Barbara Schwarz: Kalispell, MT: $750

Barbara's long-term goal is to successfully climb the 32 peaks described in “Classic Climbs of the Cordillera Blanca." This year Barbara is gunning for Huamashraju (5,434m), Alpamayo (5,947m), and Ranrapalca (6,162m).

Audrey Sniezek: Seattle, WA: $800

Audrey has been knocking on the door of the highest-level sport climbs, while at the same time holding a demanding, full-time career. Life changes have introduced a period where she can dedicate herself to climbing full time, and dreams of gaining the knowledge only a world-renowned trainer in Europe can provide.

Mimi Stone: Seattle, WA: $800

In 1975 Mimi was the youngest female to climb Denali at the age of 16 (via the Muldrow Glacier). She was diagnosed with cancer last year and is charging ahead with an expedition back to Denali with her family.

Jaren Watson: Rexburg, ID: $400

Jaren is a talented rock climber, redpointing up to 5.12a, but has a fear of heights and routes with significant exposure scare him. Long routes in Red Rocks, Nevada will push him to get over this fear, and we're happy to help him climb Epinephrine and Crimson Chrysalis.

Sol Wertkin: Leavenworth, WA: $750

Sol is a fixture in the small climbing community in Leavenworth and has given much of his time volunteering as well as raising his family. Sixteen years of high-level Cascade alpinism culminates in his objective of doing the second free ascent of the Walsh–Levigne variation (VI 5.12- R) to Spicy Red Beans and Rice, on the West Face of North Howser Tower in Canada's Bugaboos.





ROCKIES REGION:


Jonathan Byers: Louisville, CO: $1,000

Jonathan will be attempting new routes on either Cerro Bifida or Punta Filip in the Cirque de los Altares of southern Patagonia. The team will kite ski down the ice cap and establish base camp for 2–3 weeks in an effort to give them the best opportunity to achieve this goal.

Alton Richardson: Boulder, CO: $1,000

As a Boy Scout, Alton would visit the Hell's Kitchen Valley in California and eventually would learn to climb there. Now, years later, Alton is focused on establishing first ascents and also documenting climbing through many forms of media. Alton's objective is to spend two weeks in the Hell's Kitchen Valley establishing traditional, sport, and bouldering first ascents to document these climbs for the local community.

Jessica Meiris: Colorado Springs, CO: $800

Jessica is the first woman to have completed a one-day, single push rope solo of El Capitan via the Nose. Her success on El Cap was large in part due to her extensive experience on that particular chunk of stone. Now, she'd like to apply her rope-soloing skills to Half Dome and be the first woman to rope solo this formation in a single day.

Micah Howard: Albuquerque, NM: $650

After first seeing Denali over 14 years ago, Micah knew that he one day had to return to climb the mountain. As time passed Micah became competent at all the skills necessary to have a real attempt on the Cassin Ridge of Denali. Even more inspiring is that Micah juggles a demanding job and 20-month-old triplets and still finds time to pursue his dreams.

Owen Witesman: Springville, UT: $600

Owen will be attempting to repeat routes in the Teton Range put up by his grandfather, Don Decker, one of the original climbing rangers. Unfortunately, Don was killed in a fall in the Tetons in 1982, but has left a legacy of climbing. Owen will be the first of his family to attempt any of Don's classic routes. In a one-week window, Owen will attempt the NNW Ridge of Buck Mountain (III 5.7), the NW Ridge of Teewinot, (III 5.4), and the Direct South Buttress of Mt. Moran (IV 5.9 A1).

Madeline Pickering: Boulder, CO: $600

Placing her first cam this past November, Madeline has been bitten by the traditional climbing bug. She'll spend the next nine months on the road honing those trad skills and culminating in a classic tower tour of Utah. After spending the first year of climbing in a Boston gym, Madeline is ready to live her dream of climbing in wild places in the Western U.S. The next step for her is to lead every pitch on Kor Ingalls, Castleton Tower; Off Balanced Rock, Arches; West Crack of Owl Rock; Entry Fee, Lizard Rock; Stolen Chimney on Ancient Art; and Otto's Route in Colorado National Monument.

Emily Hendrick: Boulder, CO: $500

Emily will attempt Nevado Huantsan, a 6,000-meter peak in Peru. This rarely climbed peak will be a stepping-stone for Emily in both elevation and expedition style climbing. After summiting all of Colorado's 14ers, Orizaba, and Cotopaxi, Emily feels that Nevado Huantsan is the natural progression for her in order to continue to reach her goals.

Hannah Trim: Leadville, CO: $500

Hannah and her team will attempt a north to south traverse of the Picket Range in the North Cascades. Their plan is to approach Whatcom Peak via Little Beaver Creek and traverse south and east across the rest of the Pickets, finishing the traverse on Elephant Butte and then descend Seattle Ridge to Highway 20. Having plenty of alpine experience in the Rockies, Hannah feels that her lack of glacier experience is something that she needs in order to push into bigger objectives.





CENTRAL REGION:


Jordan Horner: Columbia, MO: $1,000

Last year Jordan spent 21 days with his family in the backcountry of the High Sierra. That trip hatched a plan to do a 30-day backpacking, alpine route tour de force. He'll attempt to climb 30+ classic and/or new alpine routes along his way from Whitney Portal to Twin Lakes. Along the way he will attempt Mt. Whitney, Mt. Russell, Mt. Chamberlain, Charlotte Dome, the full Palisade Traverse, the Evolution Traverse, and the Incredible Hulk.

Tyler Twoerk: Elk Mound, WI: $500

Tyler will spend 14 days developing sport routes at a new privately developed area in the Columbian Andes, Volcán Cerro Bravo. Tyler wishes to broaden his scope of establishing new routes by learning the art of bolting. This will be the next step in the progression of his climbing by giving him the knowledge and skills to find, clean, and safely bolt new routes. He'll attempt to establish up to four new routes with the supervision of experienced individuals.

Greg Fischer: Crystal Lake, IL: $500

In 2012, Greg and his partner, Rob, were caught in a tragic rockslide while mountaineering in Colorado. This accident resulted in the death of Greg's climbing partner and friend. Since then, Greg has taken a sabbatical from climbing and will now attempt to reach the summit of Aconcagua, which was a major goal for Rob and himself before the accident.





NORTHEAST REGION:


Wendy Ong: Cambridge, MA: $1,000

Wendy seeks to climb the Nose, the most famous line on Yosemite's El Capitan, in a day. In 2010 Wendy was dropped and fell 140 feet, and sustained serious spinal cord and pelvic injury, as well as permanent physical disability. Her goal of NIAD is based in her desire to train hard, make the most of the gifts and abilities she still has, and embark on this adventure to prove to herself and others just how resilient the human mind and body can be.

Craig Muderlak: Providence, RI: $1,000

Craig seeks to complete the Waddington Range high peaks traverse/enchainment, which links Mt. Waddington, Combatant, Tiedemann, Asperity, and the Serra 1–5 summits in British Columbia. This objective has been a dream of Craig's since spending a month in the Waddington Range working a NOLS mountaineering course six years ago. Since that time, he has sought to bring together the right team to make it happen, which has finally coalesced, starting in a dusty climbing gym in Providence and expanding to icy crags in New Hampshire and alpine walls in Colorado. The sheer size and commitment of this objective will demand the team's cumulative and extensive rock, ice, alpine, and expeditionary experience. Taking on this enchainment will integrate their experience in big, remote terrain and take the climbers to the next level, both personally and as a partnership.

Ben Teasdale: Burlington, VT: $1,000

Ben will travel to Kyrgyzstan in order to climb in Ala Archa National Park, as well as contribute to the national park's land use and development plan. The objective of the trip is to map out climbing routes in the park and assist the Kyrgyzstan government in its holistic plan for sustainable development and long-term use.

Ryan Wichelns: Saratoga Springs, NY: $1,000

Ryan will travel to Denali National Park in Alaska, with partner Gabe Messercola, with the ultimate goal of climbing the desolate, airy traverse from Mt. Silverthrone (13,220'), through the Tripyramid Peaks, to Mt. Brooks (11,940'). In the last few years, the partners have progressed rapidly as climbers from hiking to rock- and ice-climbing to winter mountaineering in the Northeastern ranges of the Adirondacks and Whites. Having climbed Mt. Rainier with a guide two years ago, the two are now ready to put it all to the test and “go somewhere." This will be the first simultaneous test of all their proven skills: expedition planning, long-term backcountry travel and camping, technical mountaineering, route finding, and more. They hope it will be the launching pad to bigger expeditions around the world.

Enock Glidden: Albany, ME: $1,000

Enock plans to sit climb (ascent by an individual who does not have full use of their lower extremities) El Capitan in Yosemite with the support of friends he has met through Paradox Sports. His mobility is limited due to Spina Bifida, and this climb will undoubtedly push him and test his abilities, both physically and mentally. This objective is also a step towards his ultimate goal of climbing Mt. Rainier to honor a passed friend who was a rescue ranger on the mountain. This climb will allow Enock to hone his skills for planning and managing large objectives, and if he can persevere on El Cap, he will have the confidence to then dream even bigger and tackle the logistics required to climb Rainier.

Brian O'Leary: Orono, ME: $500

Brian seeks to road trip from his home in Maine to the crack climbing mecca of Indian Creek, Utah, with the goals of honing new skills on the immaculate sandstone of Utah's deserts. His team is made up of a group of outdoor educators who, in addition to the progression in their crack climbing skills, will gain improved understanding and competency on entirely new terrain.

Lucas Weiss: Pike, NH: $400

Lucas plans to obtain his AIARE Level 1 certification and then lead Pinnacle Gully on Mt. Washington. He has many years' experience hiking, mountaineering, and rock climbing— but ice, from the first moment he swung an axe in February of 2014, has eclipsed all other activities and become his absolute passion. Pinnacle Gully will be both a culmination of the first phase of his development as an ice climber and also a key step in his qualification as an adventure teacher at his school, where he seeks to lead high school students on winter climbs.

Kelly Prime: Brooklyn, NY: $600

Kelly seeks to climb the eight-pitch, 600' route Amptrax, a fully bolted 5.8+ route in El Chorro, Spain. Through this project she intends to solidify her confidence leading multi-pitch sport routes, while pushing both her love for travel and climbing into new frontiers. She hopes that Amptrax, and this trip to Spain, will be the next step into a world of long routes and new climbing destinations.

Garrett Drayna: Watertown, MA: $500

Garrett will travel to Chamonix, France to climb various technical alpine routes of increasing difficulty, culminating in an ascent of the Frendo Spur on the Aiguille du Midi. With moderate rock (5.7), difficult alpine ice (AI4), and a mandatory bivy, this route represents the next step in his technical alpine climbing career and a dream of eight years. With climbing on the back burner during graduate school, these dreams were put on hold. Now, Garrett has spent the last year reintegrating climbing into his life in New England on moderate ice and rock, and is the perfect next step in his revitalized passion for climbing.

Joanna Sweetgall: Waltham, MA: $500

Joanna will be leaving her job in June for the sake of completing a long-held dream of driving cross-country to explore the climbing destinations of the U.S. and Canada. Her climbing goal on the trip is to breakthrough from her 5.9 comfort zone and evolve into a solid 5.11 trad leader. Her ultimate climbing dream is to complete the route Positive Vibrations on the Incredible Hulk—and a trip honing her traditional climbing skills will bring her one step closer to realizing this dream.




SOUTHEAST REGION:


Alan Goldbetter: Winchester, VA: $500

Alan will be attempting a free climb of the Atlantis route on the north face of Stora Blåmannen. This route ascends a 1,000-meter granite wall in northern Norway. Over the last decade, Alan has worked diligently to acquire the skills and fitness necessary to competently travel in the alpine environment, mostly in Scotland.

Andrew Blease: Damascus, VA: $950

Andrew will be traveling to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado to climb several alpine routes including Keyhole Ridge on Longs Peak, and the Solitude/Shelf Lake Traverse. This trip is a significant departure from Andrew's previous climbing experience because of the potential conditions, approach and retreat difficulties, and multi-day commitment.

Brandon Phillips: Nauvoo, AL: $325

Brandon will travel to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming to climb the complete Exum Ridge and then the Grand Traverse. Even though he lives in Alabama, Brandon's heart truly lies in the big mountains. With experience in smaller alpine rock, ice, and snow routes in Alaska, the Grand Traverse—a multi-day route that demands efficiency and endurance—is a well-suited continuing point for Brandon.

Cathy Cramer: Cary, NC: $1,800

Cathy's dream trip is to travel to the Boulder area of Colorado to climb difficult (5.10–5.12) sport, some easier level trad routes in Eldorado and Boulder Canyons, and her first alpine route at Rocky Mountain National Park. At age 15, Cathy is strong and well practiced outside, and ready for an opportunity to apply her skills out West. Additionally, as a Kidder Aspiring Alpinist Award recipient, Cathy received additional funding to take an advanced course in self-rescue and anchor building in preparation for her trip.

Corey Winstead: Jonas Ridge, NC: $275

Corey will climb the Grand Traverse in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. An experienced climber, outdoor-experience professional, and one step away from being an AMGA Rock Instructor, Corey's objective will not only further his experience and skill set, but also will fulfill his longtime dream.

David Hurley: Raleigh, NC: $1,220

David will travel to the Bugaboos in Canada to climb classic alpine routes—both within his limits and one step out of his comfort zone. After seeing a picture of the Bugaboos during his sophomore year of college, climbing them instantly became a long-term objective for David. The glacial approaches and long moderate lines of the Bugs will build upon his alpine experience, train him for the environment of future objectives, and serve as his introduction to big alpine climbing. Additionally, as a Kidder Aspiring Alpinist Award recipient, David received additional funding to take a course in Glacier Skills and Crevasse Rescue in preparation for his trip.

Gary Owen and Blake Salmony: Lexington, KY: $300 (each)

Gary and Blake dream of climbing more than 5,000 feet of multi-pitch rock over a weeklong trip to Red Rocks, NV. Some routes include Inti Watana, Epinephrine, and Levitation 29. The climbs of Red Rock will provide the perfect training ground for Gary and Blake to hone their systems, increase efficiency, and advance towards future ascents.

Joe DeGaetano: Fayetteville, WV: $400

Joe will travel to Wyoming to climb in Vedauwoo, Freemont Canyon, the Wind River Range, and Grand Teton National Park. The primary focus is to explore some of Wyoming's amazing climbing areas and become a better crack climber in the process.

Kayah Gaydish: Asheville, NC: $1,000

Kayah will travel to Indian Creek to hone her crack climbing skills. Having visited Moab and Indian Creek 18 years ago, and with the constraints of raising two children, this long awaited return trip is a huge dream for Kayah and will build upon her splitter crack skills.

Naz Ahmed: Herndon, VA: $900

Naz will climb the West Buttress of Denali. Attempting the West Buttress of Denali is a culmination of her skills and progression in her experience: Denali will be Ahmed's highest summit, and climbing it expedition style will be the longest she has spent in remote wilderness.

Rick DeJarnette: North Chesterfield, VA: $850

Rick will travel to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado to climb the Casual Route on the Diamond on Longs Peak. After being shut down on the route when he was 22, with his father, Rick has held the Casual Route in his “climbing imagination" for nearly 20 years. Rick now has the knowledge, experience, and sheer strength and stamina to come back and tackle his objective.

Sharon Stolberg: Cleveland, TN: $1,000

Sharon will travel to the Gunks next fall to climb challenging routes with Paradox Sports, a non-profit adaptive sports organization. Confined to a wheelchair at age 7, due to severe polyarticular Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sharon fought her way out it by age 18, and has remained active ever since. Even though she has limited mobility in her shoulders and wrists, Sharon spends every ounce of her free time outdoors, and this trip will be her first multi-pitch trip and move her along in her climbing progression.