SUNY Potsdam Students Make the Climb for Mountain-A-Thon Fundraiser

Wilderness Education Students Make Marathon Climbs of Azure Mountain to Raise Funds for Trip to Gila Wilderness

Related Media

Wilderness education students and faculty prepare for their Mountain-A-Thon fundraiser. Clockwise, from top left: Julia Zakaryan, Mark Simon, Nick Grippe, Peter Gropp, Hannah Racette and Morgan Clark.

POTSDAM, NY (03/20/2015)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam wilderness education students are going the extra mile to train and raise money for their upcoming expedition again this year. On Saturday, April 11, students in the Leadership II course will attempt to climb Azure Mountain as many times as possible in one day -- with their backpacks loaded with 50 pounds of rocks.

The Mountain-A-Thon event will serve multiple purposes. Students will not only raise funds and train their bodies and minds for their expedition through the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico -- they will also help with erosion control at the summit of the Adirondack peak.

The SUNY Potsdam students have been preparing for the Mountain-A-Thon throughout the semester, by repeatedly climbing the eight flights of stairs in Raymond Hall with loaded packs. On April 11, they will haul 50-pound loads of rocks multiple times up the 1-mile trail, with a 1,000-foot elevation gain.

The Friends of Mount Azure have for years maintained a pile of rocks at the base of the mountain, so that hikers can carry up loads to help with erosion control at the summit. The group also leads stewardship for the fire tower and trail.

Students and faculty members will take part in Mountain-A-Thon. They have set a goal of each making a minimum of four trips to the summit of Azure, bringing a total of 200 pounds of rocks to the top, and completing eight miles of climbing and 4,000 feet of elevation gain. In sum total, the group hopes to carry more than 2,000 pounds of rocks to the summit in a day.

The challenge will closely mimic the rigors of the group's upcoming expedition to the 3.3 million-acre Gila Wilderness in Southwestern New Mexico. The Gila covers eight mountain ranges, including the Mogollon range, which rises out of the Gila river canyons to mountain summit elevations of over 10,000 feet. The expedition to this remote area will be resupplied via pack stock halfway through the 20-day expedition. A typical day in the Gila will involve up to several thousand feet of elevation gain, while carrying backpacks over rugged terrain that has been recently ravaged by floods and fires, and will at times lack a trail. This expedition is the capstone experience for students who are enrolled in the Leadership Track of the SUNY Potsdam Wilderness Education Minor.

The students are seeking pledges for the Mountain-A-Thon, to raise funds for their summer wilderness trip. They are currently $2,000 shy of their goal to fund the trip. By making this experience possible, donors can help students achieve their dreams of becoming successful wilderness leaders.

To make a gift, please visit secure.potsdam.edu/giving, and designate your donation to "Wilderness Leadership."

You can follow the students' journey on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/leadership2gila.

The SUNY Potsdam Wilderness Education Program offers specialized preparation for motivated individuals to become tomorrow's leaders. The minor offers a Leadership Track, which prepares field instructors to lead extended backpacking trips and culminates in a student-planned 20-day expedition, as well as an Adventure Education Track, which prepares ropes course, rock climbing and ice climbing facilitation instructors. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/SOEPS/wildernessed.

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,300 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently launched Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $27 million by the College's bicentennial in 2016.

###