Rose Burke
Ask any Mountaineers member and they'll tell you: nothing great in the outdoors is accomplished alone. Our work, from leading youth trips to glaciated peaks to advocating for trail maintenance, is defined through community collaboration. Accomplishing this work takes more than individual will; it requires a vast network of support from our community of volunteers, donors, and corporate partners.
As a mission-driven organization, we’re always seeking meaningful collaboration with corporate partners who share our values. Through the support and generosity of our corporate partners, we've seen collaboration take many forms. From providing reliable transportation to natural landscapes to supplying specialized climbing gear to launching unique co-branded initiatives that amplify our community impact, these essential collaborations help us live out our mission of Adventure with Purpose.
Going places with Carter Subaru
For several years, our partner Carter Subaru has leased us a Subaru Ascent. Stationed at the Seattle Program Center, “the Subie” is used heavily by our youth camps and clubs, and helps young Mountaineers access places and adventures they otherwise couldn’t. Whether it's driving deep into the Cascades for a multi-day climbing trip or navigating snowy backroads to reach a winter trailhead, the Subie has become a trusted teammate in every adventure, allowing destinations that once felt out of reach to become regular parts of our programs.
During one youth climbing trip, a large patch of snow blocked a forest road. While the passengers of two other vehicles were forced to hike the last stretch, our Subaru Ascent handled the snow patch with ease, allowing our students to reach the trailhead quickly. The Ascent doesn't just get Mountaineers to our adventures, it helps us give back to the places we love. Transported by the Subie, Mountaineers youth were able to work alongside Methow Trails Association partners to restore and maintain the very trails that make our adventures possible.
Loaded with teenagers, tools, and supplies, the Subaru Ascent drove up a rough forest road to the work site and allowed our youth to experience how enjoying the outdoors goes hand-in-hand with protecting it.
Our partnership with Carter Subaru and the Subaru Ascent they've provided has become a lifeline that connects our youth to the mountains, trails, and waterways of the Pacific Northwest. Thanks to this partnership, big mountain dreams aren't just ideas, they're adventures waiting to happen.
A camper using Black Diamond climbing shoes at our summer rock climbing camps. Photo by Leslie Gobel.
Gearing up with Black Diamond
In 2025, The Mountaineers launched a new partnership with Black Diamond, who outfitted us with much-needed technical gear and apparel for our outdoor adventures. Gear included climbing shoes, helmets, and harnesses for our youth programs, as well as updated gear for adult programs at our Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia Branches.
Black Diamond is also uniquely investing in our instructor and leadership development through a special cooperative flywheel buying program. Starting in the fall of 2025, Black Diamond now offers deep discounts on their apparel and gear to our most dedicated volunteers, with a percentage of these sales donated to support our Mountaineers Access Program (MAP) scholarships. Volunteers can outfit themselves with discounted gear while feeling good that their purchases support a more accessible outdoors.
Branches and committees are taking advantage of the Black Diamond cooperative flywheel program as well by bulk purchasing Mountaineers-branded apparel to gift dedicated volunteers, leaders, and instructors as part of their annual appreciation efforts. Be it a jacket, vest, or hat, each Black Diamond appreciation item purchased is also an investment in our volunteer leaders through scholarship programs.
KickStep IPA by Ghostfish Brewing.
Extending our reach with Ghostfish Brewing Company
Did you know that The Mountaineers has a branded beer? In 2017, we worked hand-in-hand with brewers at Ghostfish to develop the award-winning and best-selling Kick Step IPA. The partnership came naturally: we were looking for a local brewery to support our programs and events, and Ghostfish Brewing was excited to give back to a local non-profit that shared their values of supporting outdoor adventures, a sense of wonder, and a commitment to the Pacific Northwest’s natural places. If you attend community events at The Mountaineers, you will likely find Kick Step among the offered beverages.
Thanks to strong sales of this award-winning gluten-free beer, Ghostfish Brewing gives back to The Mountaineers as an annual financial sponsor. This kind of co-branded partnership is a win-win: it provides The Mountaineers national exposure and a sustainable revenue stream while also giving Ghostfish a chance to build a brand audience through our large Pacific Northwest membership base.
Thanks to our corporate partners
Looking ahead, we’re excited to develop new collaborations with brands, companies, and corporate partners to help support our work. Each collaboration is a creative opportunity to invest in our mission.
Our collaborations with Carter Subaru, Black Diamond, and Ghostfish Brewing Company are three examples of the unique ways that corporate partners support our strategic plan of Adventure with Purpose. We are so grateful to all who collaborate with us and the direct mission impact this support brings. You can show your appreciation for our partners’ commitment to Adventure with Purpose by actively supporting these mission-driven companies.
Seeking new partners
Interested in becoming a sponsor or working on a creative partnership to support our mission? We’d love to work with you. Email Rose Steller Burke, Associate Director of Partnerships and Events, at roseb@mountaineers.org.
The Mountaineers is a 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner, joining the global network of businesses and nonprofits supporting the planet. Learn more at onepercentfortheplanet.org.
This article originally appeared in our 2026: Issue 1 of Mountaineer magazine. To view the original article in magazine form and read more stories from our publication, visit our magazine archive.
