Summit Dreams: Meet Sportrock's 2026 PNW Alpine Team
- lmanfuso
- Apr 1
- 6 min read
This year, during Sportrock Climbing Guides' 2nd annual guided alpine expedition, climbers will tackle some of Washington State's most iconic peaks: Mount Baker, El Dorado, and Klawatti. In this post you will learn more about the expedition and get to know some of this year's climbers. If you see them around the gym, let them know you're rooting for them!
If there’s a winning formula for a mountaineering movie, it almost certainly looks like this: one mountain + one hero + one successful summit bid = box office gold.
Think about it: Would Free Solo have garnered nearly as much attention (let alone an Academy Award) if we’d been watching a dozen men scale El Capitan instead of just Alex Honnold? For better or worse, we root for heroes: We cheer when Rudy sacks the other team’s quarterback. Rocky didn’t even win his first run at Apollo Creed, and we still watched five sequels.
But that film about what eventually happened to all of the Notre Dame players who carried Rudy off the field? Yeah, we've never heard of it either.
The reality of athletic achievement, however, is so very different, a fact no less true for mountaineering: More often than not, it takes a team to chase big goals—summits included. For those of us based on the East Coast (and who rarely ascend more than a few hundred feet above sea level), conquering big mountains can be particularly daunting. The dreams and ambition, however, are there. And now, thanks to Sportrock Climbing Guides (SRCG) and its annual Pacific Northwest (PNW) Alpine Expedition, so is the opportunity.
Last year, Sportrock introduced its first guided alpine expedition, taking participants to Washington State where they tackled Mount Baker (with a smaller group going on to complete Mount Shuksan). The trip quickly sold out, with demand so high that SRCG ultimately decided to offer two expeditions for the 2026 season.
"I really loved the experience of being part of that community," recalled Whitney Graves, who joined the inaugural trip in 2025. "Staying at base camp felt like you were worlds away but also part of the type of elite, special group that's willing to undertake hard adventures. I learned what it takes to push through and how much of mountaineering is teamwork, not just personal drive."
This year’s climbers will tackle guided climbs up some of Washington State’s (and the nation’s) most iconic peaks—Mount Baker, El Dorado, and Klawatti. But they won’t do it alone: They’ll do it as a team, supported by experts experienced in mountaineering, climbing, fitness, and more. Of course, they’ll also do it with the support of the Sportrock community, each of us cheering them on and rooting for their success. But first, of course, we have to introduce them.
And so, without further ado, meet a few members of Sportrock’s 2026 PNW Alpine Team.
BRIANNE (FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA)
A former geologist and current jewelry maker, Brianne started climbing about two and a half years ago. Set to join the Mount Baker expedition—alongside her wife—this trip marks her first big mountain attempt.
What motivated you to pursue this trip?
My wife said, “We should do this,” and instead of overthinking it for six months, I actually listened. It feels like the right level of intimidating.
What motivated you to pursue this trip?
My wife said, “We should do this,” and instead of overthinking it for six months, I actually listened. It feels like the right level of intimidating.
Do you have any other future mountaineering goals? I don’t have any big mountaineering goals for the future. I’m excited to see how this trip goes, and I expect that it will heavily influence my future mountaineering goals.
What is your proudest achievement in life so far? I’m proud of a lot of little things. My proudest overall achievement is that 12-year-old me would be very proud of the woman I’ve grown up to be.
NATE (WASHINGTON, D.C.)
A civil litigator, Nate enjoys dancing—particularly swing and blues—along with dragging his friends on food adventures. He’s also a certified mindfulness instructor, a proud cat dad, and a lover of petting dogs.
What motivated you to pursue this trip? Honestly, mountaineering was not on my agenda. But over the past couple of years, most of my travel had been related to another hobby--social dancing. And I realized I wanted to change that and get back to spending more time in nature or doing unstructured travel. A couple days later, I saw the email for the Mt. Baker trip, and it seemed like a perfect opportunity.
Do you have other big mountaineering goals for the future? Assuming I like Mount Baker enough to want a more ambitious mountaineering adventure, I'd like to climb El Dorado and Klwatti next year and take it from there.
What worries you the most about this trip? I'm very focused on the musculoskeletal aspect of conditioning required for the trip, and I want to make sure I'm totally prepared by the time July comes around.
What are you most excited about? I'm excited to spend time in nature, get to know people on the trip, and experience some different aspects of Mt. Baker.
PATRICK (LEESBURG, VIRGINIA)
For this runner, skier, and traveler, this trip represents his first attempt on El Dorado and Klawatti. It is not, however, his first mountaineering rodeo: He’s previously summited Mount Baker and Mount Hood, achieved a winter summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, and made an attempt on Mount Rainier (though avalanche conditions prevented his team from summiting).
What motivated you to pursue this trip? I’m excited to take a mountaineering trip to the Pacific Northwest with my hometown climbing gym. I’m also looking forward to the challenge of Klawatti, which will be far more technically demanding than any of my previous mountaineering trips.
Do you have other big mountaineering goals for the future? I would definitely like to try again for the summit of Mount Rainier (it’s the first mountain I fell in love with). I’m also interested in climbing Pico de Orizaba in Mexico, which is the highest volcano in North America.
What is your proudest achievement in life so far? Since joining Sportrock, I have lost about 45 pounds and have become much more active. I recently ran my first marathon which is something I wouldn’t have thought possible four years ago.
What worries you the most about this trip? I’m a little nervous about the roped climbing on Klawatti since I mostly stick to bouldering in the gym.
What are you most excited about? Same answer! I’m excited about the rope climbing on Klawatti since I mostly stick to bouldering in the gym.
EMANUEL (LORTON, VIRGINIA)
This government contractor is also a self-described “huge geek” who enjoys video games, board games, and role-playing games. That doesn’t mean he spends every moment indoors though: Emanuel also enjoys running half marathons, hiking with his family, and participating in exercise classes with his wife. His attempt on Mount Baker this year will be his first experience with alpine climbing.
Have you done other big mountains?
I participated in some outdoor adventure classes back in Colorado in the 90s (yes, that long ago), and we did about a dozen 14,000-foot peaks, some requiring minimal gear and some with more technical ascents. Nothing with ice, which kind of scares me (it's just water after all, right?!).
What motivated you to pursue this trip?
My climbing buddy saw the trip and wanted to go. He is always looking for some adventure, and I often need the nudge to take the risk. He asked if I would join, and, after some prevarication, I decided to do it.
Do you have other big mountaineering goals for the future?
Honestly, I would like to start with this one and see how it feels. I think we are going to try and climb another mountain while in the area, one that is not so technical. With two potentially under my belt I may be interested in more adventures of this sort.
What excites you most about this trip?
Doing something new, challenging, and exhilarating. What a great gift, to be alive and have the opportunity to experience these kinds of things. Meeting new people along the way should be a great bonus. It's like a Canterbury Tales at altitude.
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These are just a few members of this year’s incredible PNW Alpine Team. If you see them around the gym, let them know you’re rooting for them. Want to join their ranks? See what Sportrock Climbing Guides has to offer.
