Highpointing for Tibet: A Journey Supporting The Rowell Fund
By Dr. Steve Gardiner with John Jancik
Forewords by actor Richard Gere and climber Conrad Anker
“I am thinking about climbing the highest mountain in each of the 50 states,” John Jancik said when I answered the phone. “I would want to do this as a fundraiser for The Rowell Fund for Tibet. Would you want to be involved?”
John and I had been on a climbing expedition to the northern coast of Greenland in 1996 with Galen Rowell. Galen was a world-class outdoor photographer with many books and magazines publications to his credit. His photos of people and places in Tibet were well known. Unfortunately, he and his wife Barbara were killed in a small plane crash near their home in Bishop, California, in 2002. The next year, The International Campaign for Tibet created The Rowell Fund in their honor. The Fund would raise money to support Tibetan writers, artists, and musicians.
“I am interested,” I told John. “When would you do this?
“I would want to start in June 2006 and do all 50 highpoints in one year.”
That was ambitious. But it sounded like fun, and it supported a worthy cause, so I joined the project called 50 for Tibet.
State highpoints are interesting places. Some are very easy. Florida, Iowa, Ohio, for example, only require driving to the location, getting out of the car, taking a picture, and counting the highpoint. Others such as South Dakota, Connecticut, and Vermont involve a short walk on an established trail. A few highpoints, however, are serious mountaineering objectives. Mount Rainier in Washington, Mount Hood in Oregon, Mount Whitney in California, Granite Peak in Montana require mountain climbing equipment and skills, as well as excellent physical fitness. This variety of experiences was one of the features that attracted me to the 50 for Tibet project.
We spent the first year climbing highpoints in almost every month, moving south in the winter and scheduling the harder mountains in the summer months. Progress went well, and we reached more than 40 highpoints. We did not make the goal of all the highpoints in one year, but realized that our goals of raising money for The Rowell Fund and raising awareness of the plight of people in Tibet where human rights violations are too-frequent, were more important goals.
The next year we got the idea to add international highpoints to the list in order to keep the project going. John and I traveled to England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and North Ireland, and knew we had a good idea. We planned other trips to Japan, Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal, and elsewhere.
Galen and Barbara Rowell had loved Tibet, its culture, and its people. In working to support The Rowell fund, we had great adventures on the highpoints of the United States and other countries, but we also raised significant money to provide grants to Tibetans. We have been able to meet some very interesting people, see beautiful scenery, and learn about our country and other nations. It has been a worthwhile endeavor.
John Mitchler, editor of the Highpointers Club quarterly magazine A to Z said, “I have watched the development of the 50 for Tibet initiative, and was always eager to publish updates and promote what I believe is one of the most significant cultural causes in the world. Visiting the 50 highpoints has become an attractive vehicle for many charities lately, but none have pursued it with the conviction and success seen by 50 for Tibet. The expansion of their mission to country highpoints around the world has definitely added a unique angle to their story, and proves their deep support for Tibet.”
That was what we hoped to accomplish, and now, John and I have captured those experiences in a book called Highpointing for Tibet: A Journey Supporting The Rowell Fund. The book includes the details of more than 65 highpoint adventures, 38 photos, as well as a brief history of life in Tibet under Chinese occupation.
The book is available from Amazon.
John and I had been on a climbing expedition to the northern coast of Greenland in 1996 with Galen Rowell. Galen was a world-class outdoor photographer with many books and magazines publications to his credit. His photos of people and places in Tibet were well known. Unfortunately, he and his wife Barbara were killed in a small plane crash near their home in Bishop, California, in 2002. The next year, The International Campaign for Tibet created The Rowell Fund in their honor. The Fund would raise money to support Tibetan writers, artists, and musicians.
“I am interested,” I told John. “When would you do this?
“I would want to start in June 2006 and do all 50 highpoints in one year.”
That was ambitious. But it sounded like fun, and it supported a worthy cause, so I joined the project called 50 for Tibet.
State highpoints are interesting places. Some are very easy. Florida, Iowa, Ohio, for example, only require driving to the location, getting out of the car, taking a picture, and counting the highpoint. Others such as South Dakota, Connecticut, and Vermont involve a short walk on an established trail. A few highpoints, however, are serious mountaineering objectives. Mount Rainier in Washington, Mount Hood in Oregon, Mount Whitney in California, Granite Peak in Montana require mountain climbing equipment and skills, as well as excellent physical fitness. This variety of experiences was one of the features that attracted me to the 50 for Tibet project.
We spent the first year climbing highpoints in almost every month, moving south in the winter and scheduling the harder mountains in the summer months. Progress went well, and we reached more than 40 highpoints. We did not make the goal of all the highpoints in one year, but realized that our goals of raising money for The Rowell Fund and raising awareness of the plight of people in Tibet where human rights violations are too-frequent, were more important goals.
The next year we got the idea to add international highpoints to the list in order to keep the project going. John and I traveled to England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and North Ireland, and knew we had a good idea. We planned other trips to Japan, Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal, and elsewhere.
Galen and Barbara Rowell had loved Tibet, its culture, and its people. In working to support The Rowell fund, we had great adventures on the highpoints of the United States and other countries, but we also raised significant money to provide grants to Tibetans. We have been able to meet some very interesting people, see beautiful scenery, and learn about our country and other nations. It has been a worthwhile endeavor.
John Mitchler, editor of the Highpointers Club quarterly magazine A to Z said, “I have watched the development of the 50 for Tibet initiative, and was always eager to publish updates and promote what I believe is one of the most significant cultural causes in the world. Visiting the 50 highpoints has become an attractive vehicle for many charities lately, but none have pursued it with the conviction and success seen by 50 for Tibet. The expansion of their mission to country highpoints around the world has definitely added a unique angle to their story, and proves their deep support for Tibet.”
That was what we hoped to accomplish, and now, John and I have captured those experiences in a book called Highpointing for Tibet: A Journey Supporting The Rowell Fund. The book includes the details of more than 65 highpoint adventures, 38 photos, as well as a brief history of life in Tibet under Chinese occupation.
The book is available from Amazon.