Summit Seekers

This hike is difficult, with a lot of elevation gain as you summit the highest peak in the Northeast. Strong candidates are already regularly physically active, and have some demonstrated experience hiking, biking, climbing, running, or similar.

In the application, you’ll be able to tell us more about any experience you have, as well as how you plan to train in the months leading up to the hike. We’ll reach out if we have any questions!

Not sure this program is for you? Check out our Trail Blazers program for another way to hike for kids with cancer!

This program is designed for athletic hikers who are able to sustain a moderate pace throughout the day. Some good benchmarks to assess your pace are:

• At least 3mph on a regular walk around the block, including breaks.

• At least 2.5 mph on a regular walk through the woods (low to moderate elevation), including breaks.

• At least 2mph on a moderately challenging mountain hike, including breaks.

This is a rough idea of the pace that our Summit Seekers will maintain throughout the single-day hike excursion. This hike will require ~10 hours to complete even at this fast pace.

Hikers who move at a significantly slower pace will have a hard time keeping up. Further, conditions like unfavorable weather will make this hike harder to complete quickly, even for the fastest of hikers.

If you are close to this pace, but not quite there, we will require you to provide a training plan in your application outlining how you plan to reach this pace by May 2025.

Not sure this program is for you? Check out our Trail Blazers program for another way to hike for kids with cancer!

How you need to train for this hike will depend on how frequently you are already hiking, running, climbing, etc.

At a minimum, a combination of aerobic and resistance workouts are your best option, with a focus on stair climbing as you prepare for a steep ascent for most of the first half of the trek.

In addition, especially for newer hikers, you should plan to take several training hikes of increasing difficulty levels. Get comfortable hiking for several hours at a time, to ensure you have the right gear, hydration, and nutrition to sustain yourself for a whole day of hiking. Practice carrying a full backpack to help your body get used to the weight.

In your application, we’ll want you to provide a sample training plan you plan to follow based on your background, hiking experience, and lifestyle. If accepted, we’ll work with you to discuss your suggested training plan, and will help keep you accountable through our virtual meetings and team hikes.

Lodging is available onsite for all Seekers who go above and beyond in their fundraising efforts.

• Summit Seekers who raise $1,500 or more will have the opportunity to stay at Joe Dodge Lodge on Friday, May 30

• Summit Seekers who raise $2,000 or more will have the opportunity to stay at Joe Dodge Lodge on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31

You will be able to indicate your interest in earning onsite lodging in your application. At least 50% of fundraising commitment must be met by March 28, 2024 in order to secure lodging.

Be aware that all hikers staying onsite may share a room with up to 3 other participants from our hike program.

We expect this hike to take one challenging 10 hour-long hike day.

We expect our hikers to prepare appropriately through months of hiking. Some of those hikes should be longer and require 8-10 hours to help you get accustomed to being on your feet for an extended period of time, and understand the types of fuel your body needs to sustain itself.

When you’re unable to hike (weather, life circumstances, etc.), you should be training regularly through running and other cardio workouts designed to increase your VMax. Stair climbers are a great way to strengthen your legs for a steep climb.

Ultimately, you should be prepared to commit several hours a week to training for this hike from December 2024 through May 2025 to ensure a successful hike experience.

• Sept. 17-Nov. 11: Applications open

• Nov. 30: All applicants will be notified of their status in our 2025 program

• January 2025: Summit Seekers announced publicly and fundraising begins!

• January (date TBD): Virtual Team Meeting

• March (date TBD): Virtual Team Meeting

• May (date TBD): Virtual Team Meeting

• May 30: Arrive to Hike Weekend

• June 1: Hike Weekend!

The safety of our hikers throughout the hike is our #1 priority. We have a number of precautions & procedures in place to keep you safe leading up to, and throughout, the hike, including:

• Clearly Defined Path: We strictly adhere to a pre-determined hike path, which we encourage you to familiarize yourself with prior to the hike. Knowing the exact trail the team should be taking will help you reorient yourself in case you find yourself separated from the group.

• Regular Check-Ins: At designated waypoints along the hike path, our hikers check in with our support crew via text. This allows the support crew to keep tabs on general progress and assist if needed.

• First Aid Certification: Our Team Captains are all certified in First Aid/CPR. These team members are prepared to assist in case of injury.

• Emergency Communication Devices: Multiple Garmin devices are provided to the group by Camp Casco to ensure your access to a hike map throughout the trek, and allow your Support Crew to see your location at any time. These devices can also be used to send text messages and check oncoming weather, even when out of cell service.

• Resources At The Summit: Mount Washington is one of the best equipped summits, with food, shelter, and a hiker shuttle available. While we plan to have our Summit Seekers hike down Mount Washington for the second half of the hike, hikers who cannot complete the trek back down the mountain for any reason will have resources and transportation available at the peak.

• Emergency Rescue Preparedness: In the worst-case scenario that an emergency rescue is necessary, we are well-equipped to work with local authorities to assist in this process. Additionally, voluntary Hike Safe cards are purchased by Camp Casco on behalf of each hiker to provide financial protection if a costly rescue is required.

While we have never needed an emergency rescue and hope to never need one, we are committed to being as prepared as possible to ensure the safety and well-being of our hike team, and respecting the limited resources of the White Mountains.

Bad weather is a natural risk of any hike program, especially when you’re exploring the Whites. In general, we will attempt to complete the hike if our Team Captains agree it can be done safely. This may mean hiking in rainy, icy, very cold, or hot conditions, and hikers should be prepared for any type of weather.

Hikes will not take place if our Team Captains agree weather conditions are too unsafe to proceed. This may mean that we are unable to hike on May 31. Whenever possible, we will identify alternative nearby hikes that can be completed safely instead. In addition, Summit Seekers who exceed their fundraising goal and earn lodging at Joe Dodge Lodge on the evening of 5/31 may have the opportunity to hike on Sunday 6/1, if weather permits.

Yes! Please visit our Sponsorships page to learn more about sponsoring our 2025 hike programs.