Everest 2020

Hello everyone, my name is Steve Stevens and I'm a PGA Golf Professional at Iron Horse Golf Club.  Ever since I was a young boy I had dreamed of going to the Himalayas and climbing the highest mountain on the planet, Mount Everest,  29,035 feet.  Somewhere in between college and starting a career I loss focus of that dream, until October of 2016.  That Fall I made my way to Nepal and trekked my way to Everest Base Camp, lighting the fire within myself once again.  In the last 2 years I have pushed myself physically and mentally while gaining the experience that I need to conquer such a mountain.  Just this last winter I spent a month in Ecuador at a mountaineering school and then spent a month in Argentina climbing Aconcagua, 22,841 feet, which is one of the famed "Seven Summits" and the 2nd highest of the seven.   After reaching the summit and reflecting on my goal of Everest, I've had a change of heart.  I now want to climb all seven of  Seven Summits.


I'm very excited to say that I have been accepted onto a team for a summit attempt in May of 2020, by one of the best operators in the business.  Their success rate for 2019 was 100%, both up the mountain, and more importantly getting down the mountain.  It will take me 8 months of training to prepare my body for this undertaking and I will be gone from home for nearly 9 weeks.  Fortunately we live in an area that can easily be my "training ground", but we also don't have any BIG mountains here either.


So here I am on GoFundMe asking for your assistance.  The fee for Everest alone is $97,000, that covers myself with a Private IFMGA Sherpa Guide, accommodations, oxygen, and food while I'm in the mountains.  With the GoFundMe fees that equates to $105,000.  If I was to reach the goal of $125,000, that would allow me to make two training trips.  One would be in Russia, to climb Elbrus, 18,510 feet, and the other would be in Africa to climb Kilimanjaro, 19,341 feet.  Both of these would be in the Fall and are part of the famed  Seven Summits.  I will have approximately another $20,000 in costs for this expedition that will come from me personally.  Costs such as: travel, accommodations, emergency evacuation insurance, global travel insurance, tipping of my support team in Nepal, and other fees.

***** UPDATE *****

I have lowered my financial goal to $75,000 for the following reasons:

#1 - It is now too late to try and schedule an attempt of Elbrus for this Fall in Russia.

#2 - I have received an additional $33,000 in checks from Iron Horse Membership.  

#3 - Kilimanjaro was paid for by a single donor.  I successfully stood on the Summit on December 10th.

THANK YOU for all your support!!!


I've done some research and I've had another person do some as well.  To our knowledge, if I was to summit Everest, I would be the first PGA Professional to do so.  But this adventure isn't just about my dreams, I want it to benefit something else as well.  Hopefully most of you have heard of the "Folds of Honor" Foundation, it is something that the PGA has been very involved with over the years.  I plan on personally carrying a minimum of five US Flags to the summit of Everest, with ten Flags being the most.  I will give one flag to my biggest supporter and the rest of the flags I want to auction with 100% of the proceeds going to the Folds of Honor Foundation.  Also, all unused monies (if any) will go to the Folds of Honor Foundation.


If any of you have questions for me, don't hesitate to ask.  I love talking about my adventures.  

Sincerely,

Steve Stevens, PGA