In just under three weeks, the USAF 7 Summits team will be heading to one of the most beautiful mountains on Earth: Mt. Rainier.  This climb will be the first in their new project: taking injured, wounded, or troubled Airmen into the mountains as a way to heal and grow strong together.  With over eight years of climbing mountains around the world, we decided it was time to use our experience to help our fellow Airmen in need.

Whether it is a bout of seasonal depression, a difficult period in life, or a major combat related injury, we know a few days climbing Mt. Rainier will help clear the mind, release stress, and boost self esteem.  It certainly does for us!

The Rainier trip is already full.  We have 12 climbers heading to Washington State on July 19th for the three-day trip.  Climbers pay their way and also raise funds to help cover the costs of our Airmen in-need.  That looks like it’ll be our model for future climbs: find an accessible American peak, bring about a dozen folks (both military and civilian), and spend the trip working together to get everyone to the summit and to work through the troubles of life.  By the time the trip is over, everyone should be tired, smiling, and have a new sense of achievement- whether they reach the summit or not.

If you are interested in joining us on our next trip or know someone that would really benefit from it, please drop us a line.  Also, if you’d like to help support our first climb with a donation, do it!  We are a tax-deductible War Veteran’s organization and your funds will pay for the airfare, gear rental, food, and permits of an American service member dealing with physical or mental challenges.

“Climb High, Fly Low”  –RMM

Follow us on here and at: www.ClimbingForWarriors.com

Happy Saturday everyone! It’s the first full weekend the team has been back in America and we’re all doing well. As you can imagine, the Everest climbers are recovering from their awesome, yet taxing, adventure. I was surprised at how much sleep my body was demanding from me. Even a few days after getting home, my dreams were still about Mt. Everest and trying to climb it. Clearly my mind and body would need a few days to spin-down from the intense experience. Plus, my hunger is through the roof- my body wants to get back to its happy weight, so everything looks appetizing right now.  It sounds like the rest of the team has been feeling the same, but that hasn’t stopped us from getting back to work!

We wanted to get a blog post up summarizing some of the excellent media coverage we’ve received since the successful Everest climb. From national cable news to local papers, the word is spreading about this positive and patriotic event. The team and I are hoping this is just the beginning and there is more to come. Just like each man and woman serving in the Air Force, our climbers have a compelling personal story that we hope will inspire and motivate all who hear it. So fingers crossed we can continue to share this experience with Americans of all walks of life.  

Here are links to some of the top stories/interviews currently out:

Fox News “Happening Now” Interview: http://video.foxnews.com/v/2421283929001/air-force-team-summits-mount-everest/

FoxNews.com Interview: http://video.foxnews.com/v/2421731854001/challenges-for-the-us-air-force-team-/

Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021037807_everestairforcexml.html

Air Force Times: http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20130525/NEWS/305250003/Fundraising-climbers-reach-7th-summit

Stars and Stripes: http://www.stripes.com/news/air-force/air-force-team-makes-it-to-the-top-of-the-world-1.223282

Air Force News Service: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123349609

Bismark Tribune: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/north-dakota-airman-ascends-mount-everest/article_1bdaf7ae-c258-11e2-9814-001a4bcf887a.html

Don’t worry- we have more blog posts coming.  I’d like to talk about some of the ways this climb has tied into Air Force goals: risk management, physical fitness, and mental health/resiliency.  These mean a lot to me and the team, so I think you’ll like what we’ve got in store.  Also, we’re considering the next step for the USAF 7 Summits Challenge.  Involving more wounded/injured Airmen and helping get them into the mountains is important to us.  So we’re throwing around the idea of a Wounded Warrior climb of Mt. Rainier this summer.  More to come on that too.

“Climb High, Fly Low”  — Rob Marshall