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Whistler Recap

Unlike Any Other

By 29029 Everesting

August 28^th, 2025

Whistler has always brought the drama for 29029.

Mist, fog, rain… sometimes even snow.

But not this year.

In 2025, the drama wasn’t a storm.

It wasn’t the quintessential Coastal Mountain weather.

It was the sun.

Heat, seldom felt at 29029 Whistler, turned the usually tacky terrain into dusty trails on a lengthy ascent trail that would test over 300 climbers on the slopes of Blackcomb Mountain.

The First Step

Early Friday morning, anticipation collided with nerves.

Everybody on the start line knew the next 36 hours would be a challenge.

The unknown wasn’t if the mountain would test you, but how far that test might go.

Eight ascents would equal Everest.

But in that first moment, it wasn’t about 36 hours or 29,029 feet.

It was about one step.

And then another.

And another.

Shifting Forests, Shifting Selves

The first climb of Blackcomb Mountain always feels magical.

You rose through microclimates on your lengthy ascent, watching the forest shift with every thousand feet gained.

Towering cedars and firs gave way to pines and alpine brush as the landscape slowly revealed new layers on the slopes.

And just like the mountain, you began to shift too.

The changes weren’t obvious at first.

But step by step, ascent by ascent, the work had already begun.

When the Sun Took Over

By the time the sun was high, the truth became clear: Whistler weather wasn’t coming.

No mist. No rain. No fog.

Just heat.

Relentless. Inescapable.

And after the first two ascents, you were in the thick of it.

This is when the challenge ratcheted up.

The Messy Middle

As time ticked on and ascents started to stack up, you were in the hard part now.

Deep enough in to feel fatigue, but still far from your final summit.

This was the messy middle, where the true test of your grit began.

Through the heat, through the forest, up the steep slopes, you kept climbing.

Because that was what you came here for.

You came here to keep climbing.

Into the Darkness

When night fell, the mountain finally cooled.

But relief came with a cost.

In the darkness, the doubts grew louder.

Each ascent demanded courage.

Courage to trust your headlamp beam.

Courage to push when rest sounded easier.

Courage to take another step instead of retiring to your bed.

And so you climbed.

One step at a time.

One summit at a time.

Back to the Light

When the second sunrise came, you knew this was no longer just endurance.

This was ultra-endurance.

Over 24 hours in, the mountain offered clarity, both in views and perspective.

The sky was crystal clear, peaks stretching in every direction.

As the light spread, so did something inside you.

You saw who you were becoming.

Someone who could do hard things.

Someone who could grit it out.

Someone who could keep climbing, even when everything in you begged to stop.

The Stories Within the Summits

By the end of 36 hours, Blackcomb had given its all.

Dust. Distance. Fatigue.

But it also gave something back.

Clear skies framed your summit moments against the jagged Coastal Peaks, highlighting every ounce of triumph, relief, and emotion at the summit.

And yet, the real story of 29029 Whistler wasn’t only in the climbs or the Red Hats.

It was in the people who made them.

It was in you.

Each of you carried a reason up that mountain.

Each of you left with something more.

Here are just a few of the stories that made this year’s Whistler climb unforgettable.

Carrying the Weight

Some participants came to the mountain carrying only the essentials.

Mandatory gear, water, and maybe a snack in a small pack on their backs.

Damon Parker carried more.

In honor of the Jones Project, he rucked dozens of pounds of extra weight to raise money and awareness for suicide prevention.

Each ascent tested him twice: against the mountain, and against the weight on his back.

Step after step, he shouldered it all, until his body nearly gave out as he walked the Red Carpet.

This climb wasn’t just about carrying himself to the top.

It was about carrying others with him.

Climbing for Rob

For Daniel Greifenkamp, every step up Blackcomb Mountain wasn’t taken alone. He carried the memory of Rob - someone he lost but refused to forget - with him.

When the mountain pressed back, Daniel pressed harder. The climbs weren’t just for himself, they were for Rob’s life, Rob’s story, and Rob’s legacy.

When Daniel reached the Red Carpet, his final summit was far more than just a personal victory. It was a shared one. The achievement belonged to Rob too.

Because sometimes, the people we carry with us can give the strength to climb higher than we ever thought possible.

Thirty Seconds to Red

Carol Wisecarver came to Whistler with unfinished business. Twice before, she’d tried to earn the Red Hat. Twice before, the mountain had stopped her short.