Matthew C Johnson
The creator of the original concept and the principal organizer for the project, Matthew is the driving force behind bringing this project to life. He is passionate about mountains and adventure travel, especially in areas where there is the opportunity to connect with underserved communities. Matthew serves on the board of the Sustainable Ascents Foundation.
Nathaniel J Menninger
Creator of the film The Porter and co-founder of the Mountain Worker Initiative (MWI), Nathaniel has been integral to keeping this project fully in the spirit of the MWI. Nathaniel is currently in Nepal running the MWI for the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA).
Gregg Kane
An explorer to the core, Gregg is the first person to complete a solo, unsupported crossing of the Everglades and once trekked deep into the Venezuelan jungle to visit Angel Falls. He is a former president of the Chicago Mountaineering Club and has led many mountaineering expeditions around the world. Gregg serves on the board of the Sustainable Ascents Foundation.
Mark Higton
A UK based climber, Mark is a FinTech / Finance enthusiast. He is an alpinist with three peaks in the Himalayan Index and a Mountaineer of the Soviet Union 1st Class. Mark is a Fellow at the Royal Geographical Society, the Chairman of the Hammersmith Conservatives, and serves with several charitable nonprofits. Mark serves on the board of the Sustainable Ascents Foundation.
Sibusiso Vilane
Not only is Sibusiso the first black person to summit Everest, he is one of only 70 people to complete the Explorers Grand Slam (Last Degree). While working as a tourist officer and game ranger in Malolotja Nature Reserve, he met then British High Commissioner John Doble, who introduced him to climbing and supported his start in mountaineering. This South African mountaineer and motivational speaker is a leading advocate for the idea that mountains and other wild spaces should be enjoyed by all people, not just a privileged elite. See more about Sibu at sibusisovilane.co.za and his Instagram @sibusiso.vilane. Outside Magazine has an excellent article on him here.
Mostafa Salameh
Mostafa Salameh is one of only 21 people to ever climb the Seven Summits and conquer the South and North Poles - known as the “Explorers Grand Slam.” Born in Kuwait to Palestinian refugee parents, it was never Mostafa’s intention to become a climber. His mountaineering journey began in 2004 following a vivid dream with a divine intervention. After dreaming that he was reciting the call to prayer from the world’s highest peak, a persistent Mostafa followed his calling and became the first Jordanian to climb Mount Everest in 2008. That was also the year King Abdullah II of Jordan Knighted Mostafa. Mostafa’s website is mostafasalameh.com and his Instagram is @mostafasalameh.
Sergey Baranov
Official 1st category in mountaineering, Sergey has 199 ascents of Elbrus (about 150 of them as a leader) and is the owner and manager of mountainguides.pro. He has organized and guided climbs on Lenin Peak, Denali, Aconcagua, Muztag Ata, Chimborazso and Cotopaxi. He has also climbed Broad Peak, K2 (up to 8000m), Khan-Tengri, Ullutau (Russian Grade 5B), Burlutskiy (5B), Free Spain (4B), Osipova (4B), Ararat, and Kazbek. Sergey’s Instagram is @mountainguide.
Alexander Eliseev
Officially a candidate in Master of Sport in Mountaineering and multiple winner of the Championships of the Krasnodar Territory and the South of Russia in Mountaineering, Skyrunning and Orienteering, Alexander has been mountaineering since 1988. Notable ascents include K2, Manaslu (without oxygen), Eridag (Russian Grade 6B), Gora Gaykomd (6A), Amanauz Dvuhzubka (6A), Dalar (6A), and Morcheka (6A). He has more than 100 Elbrus ascents with over 15 in winter. Alex is part of the team at mountainguides.pro.
Rick Allen
It is with much sadness that we have to announce the passing of Rick Allen. Rick died while climbing on K2 to raise money for Partners Relief and Development. We appreciate his support of our project and will miss his involvement.
Rick was a Scotland based climber who, with his partner Sandy Allen, won the Piolet d’Or in 2013 for completing first climb of the Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat leading to a full traverse of the mountain. At 13km, the Mazeno Ridge is probably the longest ridge on any of the 8,000m peaks and was one of the better-known unfinished lines in the Greater Ranges.
Fernanda May
Despite living in a tropical country, with no high-altitude mountains, Fernanda May has always been attracted by challenges that take her out of her comfort zone. After her first ascent of a 5,895m mountain (Kilimanjaro), she has discovered her passion for mountain environments. She recently joined Deuter’s team in Brazil as one of only a few women with high-altitude experience. Fernanda has been mountaineering for 23 years, is an anesthesiologist and the mother of a beautiful teenage girl. Her skills include wilderness medicine. Fernanda’s Instagram is @mnandamay.
Fernando Lessa
A professional outdoor film maker based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Fernando Lessa is best known for his conservation photography, documenting British Columbia and beyond. Drawing from his passion for outdoor sports - including diving and climbing - and combining his degrees in Biology (BSc) and Photography (MA), he specializes in documenting the delicate relationship between man and mother nature. See his work at fernandolessa.ca and his Instagram @walkinglessa.
Murilo Gimenes Lessa
Murilo is a Sheffield (UK) based Brazilian climber and mountaineer. A husband and dog owner, Murilo is attracted to all kinds of climbing, especially adventurous ones in alpine style. He has climbed several 4000m peaks, big walls, ice and mixed routes in multiple countries and has done small first ascents in Pakistan. See his website at https://www.murilogimeneslessa.com/.
Julianu Lorne
Julianu Lorne is a Brazilian mountaineer, explorer and expeditioner. Since his early childhood, Lorne has shown interest in exploring life in nature. This 26-year-old explorer is now leading trekking and high-mountain expeditions throughout South America coordinated by his own adventure agency, RIOEX. He is ambassador for Sub Sub Equipamentos de Aventura, of the World Adventure Society (WAS) and has the support of the AZTEQ brand. Adventurous by nature, Lorne takes himself and others on journeys from the sunny mountains of Rio de Janeiro to the frozen volcanoes of Ecuador. His Instagram is @lorneguide.
Damien Verriest
Damien comes from Belgium, the flat country full of passionate climbers. When he’s not working as a physical therapist, he spends most of his extra time doing all sorts of sports (climbing, trail, kitesurfing, cycling…). He’s a lucky man because the French Alps are not far away. Whenever he can, he hits the road to visit them. Every year, Damien organizes an expedition with loyal teammates. He has roamed mountains in the Caucasus, Nepal and Tanzania, and he has glided through the great north (Svalbard, Lapland, Lyngen Alps). His great goal is to reconnect with nature, and to use nature to help people reconnect with each other. Such a beautiful perspective!
Hezron Kule
Hezron is a climbing guide in Uganda’s amazing Rwenzori Mountains (Mountains of the Moon).
Andrew Slate
Andrew is the founder of Beyond Red Square tours and part of the team behind the Caucastalk podcast. He is providing cultural advice and additional local contacts.
Christine LeJeune
Christine is a Ph.D. student in Sociocultural Anthropology at the University of Florida. Her doctoral research examines the sustainable development of mountain territories in the North Caucasus within the context of (eco)tourism and environmental governance. Christine is a member of the North Caucasus Scientific Cooperation, an interdisciplinary network of scholars working in the North Caucasus.
Berk Deniz Yilmaz
Deniz is a traveler, adventurer and photographer. An engineer by profession, he has traveled the world, working in the most remote islands and countries. His passion of documentary photography and videography have become his main focus since 2018. Deniz loved stories as a child and has continued to listen and document them ever since. He has been climbing mountains since 2015, including domestic winter ascents in Turkey and two summer summits on Ararat, and he looks forward to continuing to pursue this passion.
Pat Corden
Pat Corden is an Australian based photographer, writer and adventurer. He’s worked on commercial and editorial photography projects throughout Australia and internationally. These have included skiing in the Australian Backcountry, a climbing expedition on Ama Dablam in Nepal, riding motorbikes through the Indian Himalayas and spending 10 days living with indigenous tribes in the Amazon. See his work on his website and his Instagram @patcorden.
Rob Kyte
Rob is a climber, skier, writer, photographer, and outdoor guide. He first found his passion for climbing while studying in Ecuador in the summer of 2018. After graduating from Georgetown University in 2020 with a degree in Foreign Service, he spent the spring of 2021 training as a climbing and backpacking guide in Nepal. He is now a member of the team at Alpenglow Expeditions in Lake Tahoe, California. Rob believes strongly that sharing knowledge of best practices and increasing accessibility to create a more inclusive and diverse climbing community will be a catalyst for environmental protection and positive change in the outdoors. Rob also serves as the storyteller for the Climbing Initiative. See his Instagram at @robert_kyte.