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For the past 13 years, we have had had the great privilege of guiding the Deep Wilderness Experience for the Wild Gift, a local non profit dedicated to supporting better world entrepreneurs through mentor-ship, project funding and instilling a deep ethic of the wild. Each year, a class of recipients (known as Gifters) is selected from an ever growing pool of inspirational applicants who have begun social and environmental ventures. The 2016 class included 5 Gifters with varied and amazing projects across the globe and all related to this year’s theme on Climate Change including:
Dr. Arun Gupta: Who is developing ground breaking solar panels with his company, Skyven Technologies designed to capture thermal energy used to heat, process foods and for industrial applications.
Bryce Andrews: Rancher, writer and deep thinker, Bryce is beginning a non-profit educational institution: Swallow Tail Foundation, dedicated to critical evaluation of how to better ranching and farming in the West.
Tsechu Dolma: Growing up in a Tibetan refugee camp in Nepal, Tsechu Dolma recognized the need for developing sustainable solutions for the mountain people of the Himalaya. Her venture, the Mountain Resiliency Project , is dedicated to creating viable communities in these rugged and remote landscapes.
Sam Teicher: Has founded a company: Coral Vita, dedicated toward restoring threatened coral reefs by growing and replanting local endangered corals on degraded reefs worldwide.
Alex Wankel: Has begun a new social enterprise, Pachukuti Foods, to create markets for rare Andean superfoods while supporting farmers and protecting agro-biodiversity. Alex strives to tap into the huge potential of rare and underutilized crops by creating innovative new products that are uniquely natural, delicious, healthy, and good for the world.
Enjoy these pictures of our 18 days trekking deep in the wilds of Idaho with SVT guide, Joe St.Onge, and Wild Gift Facilitator, Raj Vable, and click on the links above to find out more about the Wild Gift and these phenomenal ventures:
- Contemplating the wild, deep in the Boulder Mountains
- Long shadow trek
- Alex, grazing on route
- Sam collapses under his book
- Each evening, ideas related to the wild, entrepeneurship and making of a better worls were shared, discussed and debated
- The 1st steps up into the Boulder Mountains
- Wild, Sublime, Beauty
- 2 legs and a pack among ancient sea beds and a living rock rock glacier at 11,000′
- Reflection on the day
- Castle Peak
- mmm, a swim and then a some fish for dinner…
- Arun, enjoying an alpine bath
- Arun, lunch contemplation
- Focus on the final climb to the pass
- The beauty of each camp was unique
- Loving the exposure high on the peak
- Unbridled Joy!
- Bryce, siesta at the 1st pass
- Summit brain storm
- Sunset/moonrise
- heading for the summit of D.O. Lee Peak
- the team, deep.
- Foot wash mid day
- Sharing humor
- The team atop Cheese Grater
- morning Yoga
- Serene beauty in it’s natural form
- Joe, employing a rope for the descent
- Climbing toward the magical land of peaks, lakes and the ancient White Bark Pines in the White Cloud Mountains
- Pass #3
- Climbing toward the last rays of sun
- Climbing the final granite slabs toward the “Cheese Grater” pass
- The “Board Room” at Sapphire Lake
- Looking toward the peak ahead
- Yahoo, the team atop the summit!
- presenting new ideas
- Dropping down into the Boulder Chain lakes
- Boulder hopping between the Boulder Chain Lakes
- Morning yoga
- The team, atop White Cloud Peak #9
- We began the trek at Coyote Yurt, deemed the “air lock”, serving as the acclimatization zone for the wild ahead
- Straight from the source, Tsechu fills a bottle from the snout of a rock glacier
- Lunch break siesta on a big day
- Many fish were caught, providing tasty nutrition along the trek.
- Joe and Bryce discussing options for the day ahead
- Tsechu, feeling the air beneath her feet
- Heading over into Karma Basin on the dark side of the Boulder Mountains
- heading toward “Cheese Grater” pass
- Sam likes his fish al dente
- The team, heading for the Peak!
- Tsechu, bargaining with the bars
- Most mornings began with yoga and/or a meditation
- Gazing toward our home for the night
- Rugged country, no trail and lots of potential
- Camp at sunset
- Arun, enjoying the exposure
- Our 1st trail sign in 16 days was found at the very end of our trek, how fitting.
- Climbing from one place of magic to another
- Blazing their own trails, Bryce and Sam point the way toward the future
- Castle Peak Board Room
- Climbing out of Little Boulder Basin
- Bryce, in his element
- Stoked to make the pass, Castle Peak in the background
- Tsechu, always smiling
- Climbing above Cirque Lake
- Arun, psyched to to be high and exposed
- Evening light
- Entering the Chamberlain Basin
- The magic of a secluded camp deep in the mountains
- The team, above Boulder Chain Lakes
- Adrift in thought
- The Doctor, back in his element
- Pass #4
- The rock glacier above Cirque Lake is one of the few living glaciers left in Idaho
- 8 hours into an 11 hour trek on day 6
- Lake contemplation
- morning beauty
- Taking a break on the loose descent off the pass
- a point in nature
- YES!
- Summit Stoke!
- Clean lines in the White Clouds
- Alex, feeling the immensity of it.
- Sam, adrift in the wild
- The team after crossing the last of 7 passes on the route
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