BIG CITY MOUNTAINEERS

By Karen Hamlin

Why do climbers climb? It can be very difficult, dangerous and exhausting carrying twenty pounds or more on your back. Is it fun? Not exactly. Can it change your life? Absolutely.

Big City Mountaineers (BMC) is a 501 non-profit dedicated to providing wilderness expeditions under team mentors to at-risk urban teens. The setting and the adults who volunteer are the crux of the learning experience. With a 5:5 ratio of volunteer mentors to teens, the kids have positive role models to emulate plus the wilderness environment is often their first experience outside of the inner city. Both conditions are novel to the kids, forcing them to readjust to the situation.After eight days in the mountains, the teens overcome obstacles they never expected, buoying their spirit, pride and confidence.

"I'll always remember this trip when I want to give up…I'm not giving up! Said Robert from Christopher House in Chicago.

Youth agencies are targeted by BCM to partner in their selection of kids fourteen to seventeen to participate in the trips as a reward and an opportunity. After each trip, qualitative and quantitative feedback is gathered from the participating teens to determine the impact and significance of the experience. This information is used to adjust the program to make it more effective and secure grant funding. BCM has grown an impressive seventy per cent since 2006 attracting corporate sponsorship such as Timberland, Polartec, Geartrend and many more.

BCM has created a very successful program called "Summit for Someone", requiring volunteer climbers to raise money for the program which can range from $2500 up to $7500 depending on the location of the climb itself. DennisPinto has been participating for the past three years and has raised $10,000 by contacting over 200 companies, his friends, family and local businesses. Some donors have touch his heart such as Curtis Shoch, from Atlanta, who, when asked to contribute, responded with a $1000 donation even though they had only met once. Dennis considers the fundraising the difficult part; the climbing is easy. However, some companies have been exceptionally generous. Exofficio makes adventure clothing and has donated several items to Dennis, whileTracme has gifted personal locator beacons for his climbs. Earth River Expedition's president Eric Hertz has been instrumental in procuring donations for this charity in addition to bestowing substantial contributions himself.

Having climbed Mt. Rainier (14,410 ft) and Mt. Whitney (14,495 ft) in previous years, this year he will attempt the Grand Tetons (13,700 ft) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A big reason Dennis loves to climb is the people he meets who become life long friends, a brotherhood of climbers. On his first attempt with BCM, a fellow climber had difficulty remaining awake. The head guide placed him in a sleeping bag and anchored him to the side of Mt. Rainer at 13,000 feet where he dangled and slept through a gorgeous orange sunrise until the team picked him up on their descent.

After climbing Mt. Whitney for two hours, Dennis began coughing strenuously until he collapsed. Lying in his tent for the next fifteen hours, he was miserable, alternately freezing and sweating, vomiting and laying awake all night. In the morning, Debbie (a guide on the Whitney attempt), carried his forty-five pound pack along with her own down the mountain and settled Dennis into a hotel room to recuperate from pneumonia. Debbie returned to the group to climb up the mountain again, but later had to retreat due to severe storms. Kathy Haack (volunteer climber) was a great comfort to him recommending medications and suggesting
solutions to his predicament. They are hoping to meet again for the Mt.
McKinley summit attempt. Even though Kathy had difficulty raising the required amount for the climb, she proffered her own money to Dennis assisting him to meet his goal. “That’s the kind of people you meet on these climbs, one’s with big hearts".

Scott Wareham, a Texan, became a fast friend after meeting Dennis on the Mt. Rainer climb and pushing him up the mountain when Dennis became sluggish. They were a good team and reunited again for the Mt. Whitney climb. Scott when on to volunteer with guiding a group of teens last season for BCM and still raises money for the Summit program.

It is the unselfish gestures and generosity of all of the people Dennis has encountered through Big City Mountaineers that touches his heart. Why does he do it? "I love the challenge of climbing: The physical and mental part of it is very demanding. You must stay focused and be in top-notch shape in order to make your climb rewarding. But when you stop somewhere, maybe at the trail head, a summit or an overhang at 13,000 feet and realize why you are doing this, it's the smiles on the kids' faces that make it all worthwhile".