Hiker Achey Now Climber Achey

The Bangor (ME) Daily News of 14 April 2007 brings an article by Jeff Strout titled "Achey to climb Mount Rainier". It mentions the upcoming attempt by Shane Achey to climb Washington's Mount Ranier "in early September as part of Backpacker Magazine’s Summit for Someone benefit climb."

Achey thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2006. While hiking, he says, he noticed countless groups of kids who were hiking as therapy of some kind, usually having been forced into it. He said that he (and the mentors for the kids) observed

"that after being on the trail for several days with these kids problems seemed to disappear. I guess that this experience is one of the reasons why I choose to participate in the Summit for Someone program because what they offer is very similar to what I saw on the [AT] last summer"

So, what is this "Summit for Someone program"? Go to their web site and discover how climbers of one of 14 western mountains can help raise money for worthy causes.

The article doesn't make clear how Achey hooked up with them, but it doesn't really matter.