The Mountaineers Gala
Mark your calendars for our biggest event of the year! The Mountaineers 2023 Gala: Adventure with Purpose will take place on Saturday, April 1.
Adventure with purpose
saturday, April 1, 2023
5PM | VIP Reception
6PM | Doors open for general Admission
Cocktail Attire
Virtual Event
7PM | Livestream begins
7:30PM | Opening remarks
In person tickets are officially sold out! Sign up for our virtual event to receive to the online auction and watch the livestream.
If you would like support with event registration or have any additional questions, please contact Development Director, Bri Vanderlinden, at briv@mountaineers.org.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We hope you will join us at Fremont Studios, but if you have to miss the red carpet this year, we are excited to once again offer the opportunity to participate from afar.
Here’s a sneak peak of what to look forward to:
- Keynote: We are thrilled to welcome Philip Henderson as our 2023 keynote speaker. Philip has been making history as a groundbreaking adventurer, climber, mountaineer, and outdoor educator for nearly 30 years. Learn more about Philip's impact on the outdoor community.
- Lifetime Achievement Award: We are honored to recognize world-renowned alpinist, respected Mountaineers Books author, former board member, and longtime Mountaineers volunteer and Peak Society Donor Steve Swenson. Learn more about Steve's many accolades.
- Bid on amazing experiences, artwork, getaways, and awesome gear in our live and silent auctions. Get all dressed up and join us in person, or live stream the entire event and bid from home! The live auction will open a week in advance on Friday, March 24, and close at 7pm on Saturday, April 1.
- Mix and mingle with special guests before the show and enjoy delicious food from Kaspars Catering, award-winning wine from Tinte Cellars, hand-crafted cocktails, and more.
- Back by popular demand is the epic Tyrolean Traverse. Partake in some friendly competition as you watch contestants traverse 60 meters out-and-back above the audience.
Last year, Mountaineers Gala supporters like you raised a record breaking $525,000 to support our outdoor access, education, and conservation work. This year we’ve set an ambitious goal of $535,000 and we need your help to make it happen! All funds raised through ticket sales, auction bids, and Raise the Paddle donations provide unrestricted funding to help make the magic of Mountaineers programs possible.
keynote speaker: Philip Henderson
photo by Greg Mionske
Philip Henderson has been making history as a groundbreaking adventurer, climber, mountaineer, and outdoor educator for nearly 30 years. Through his passion for outdoor recreation and education, Philip has had the opportunity to travel, climb, and ski around the world and has taught mountain skills to guides and porters in Nepal, Kenya, Tanzania and Chile. In 2012, Philip was a member and team leader of the North Face/National Geographic Everest Education Expedition, and in 2013 he became one of only a few African Americans to summit Denali. He also led an all-African American ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2018 and served as Expedition Leader of the successful Full Circle Everest Expedition, which saw the first all-Black American team summit Mt. Everest in 2022. With nearly three decades as an outdoor educator, including more than 20 years as an instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Philip has made a substantial impact on the outdoor community. As a volunteer, he’s dedicated countless hours to support youth around the country in experiencing the power of nature. Philip was recognized by Outdoor Afro in 2020 with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the outdoor community.
Philip is currently the executive director of Full Circle Expeditions, a nonprofit based out of Colorado. He resides in Cortez, CO with his wife, Brenda, and daughter, Bahati.
Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree: Steve Swenson
photo by Graham zimmerman
We are honored to recognize world-renowned alpinist, respected Mountaineers Books author, past Board President of the American Alpine Club, former Mountaineers Board member, and longtime volunteer Steve Swenson. He’s been climbing for more than 55 years and is known for big-mountain expeditions to the Karakoram range. He led and summited on the second successful American expedition to K2 and made a solo ascent of the North Ridge of Everest–both climbs without supplemental oxygen. In 2012 he and his partners made the first ascent of Sasser Kangri II (7518 meters), the second highest unclimbed mountain in the world, a feat for which they were awarded the prestigious Piolet d’Or. Together with his partners, including Graham Zimmerman, Steve was awarded a second Piolet d’Or in 2020 for their successful first ascent of Link Sar (7,041 meters) in 2019. He is one of only a few people to receive a Piolet d’Or, let alone two, an award considered mountaineering's highest honor.
Before retiring, Steve worked for 35 years as a water resources consulting engineer. In addition to his book Karakoram: Climbing Through the Kashmir Conflict, published by Mountaineers Books, Steve has been published by Alpinist, Climbing, and Rock & Ice magazines, the Banff Center, and the American Alpine Journal. Steve has a rich history and deep commitment to The Mountaineers and extended community. He is a 12 year active member, six year member of The Mountaineers Board of Directors and Governance Committee, founder and tireless volunteer with our Alpine Ambassadors program, leader in our work on the tenth edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, and current Peak Society Member.
Presented by Graham Zimmerman
QUESTIONS & SPONSORSHIP
If you would like to receive benefits as a Gala Sponsor, are interested in making a donation to the auction, or have any questions please contact Hana Wilder at hanaw@mountaineers.org, or call 206-521-6020.
Artwork by Sharisse Steber, from Rise and Roar (Mountaineers Books, 2021).