Blog

A little bit about us... Vertical Endeavour is about a passion for mountains. It is about walking in them, climbing them, appreciating them, looking after them, respecting them. We also appreciate the Creator who formed them, leaving in them his fingerprints, and for giving us the capacity to enjoy them. We cannot convince anyone of the emotions and thoughts that well up within us when we stand on a mountain summit or study its form from below. We cannot convince anyone of why we climb them and find so much joy in being among them. We can perhaps say that there is something of the Creator's fingerprint in all of us, something which makes us aware of something greater and deeper than meets the eye. Something beyond money, careers and the business of our world. We look for significance, for adventure, for something that brings the feeling of life rushing through us. We even like a little danger to provoke us to ponder about what's really essential to life. To ponder why we are and who we are. For us this quest expresses itself in the pursuit of a mountain summit, though we realise that ultimately there is nothing but emptiness to be found there. Rather, the pursuit of mountains reflects a much deeper journey, one in which everything points back to the Creator in whom alone our lives have context.

We also appreciate the comeradie, the companionship that forms with others that share our joy. We are grateful that we are not alone in this. We love how the mountains can bond diverse people together in a common quest to survive and to reach a goal. Thanks to all our friends that we've had the priveledge to hike and climb with over the years. It's another reason why we do it.

Our hearts go out to under-priveledged people, especially those that live in the mountains. Vertical Endeavour is also about caring for these people and about finding ways of assisting them. We believe that those that live in the mountains should also benefit from them and have the ability to utlise and care for them in a sustainable manner.

Mountains provide an exellent place for education. We support programmes and charities in which people from all walks of life can be taken into the mountains in order to learn more about themselves, nature, leadership, team building or life. We also support initiatives to raise funds for selected charities through organised events in the mountains.

We believe the mountains should be looked after. Vistors and locals alike should use them in a responsible and sustainable manner. Mountains are very sensitive ecosystems that must at the same time provide a means of living to some and a form of recreation to others. Not only are they a natural heritage that must be preserved, they also play an extremely important role in the quality and quantity of our drinking water. We are troubled when we see litter, erosion, overgrazing, poor toilet practices, use of unrenewable sources of fuel and a general disregard and ignorance of these beautiful places. We support conservation and co-operation with and education of locals living in the mountains. We support programmes aimed at creating eco-tourism which the locals manage, sustain and benefit from.

We are particularly fond of two mountain ranges: the Himalayas (primarily in Nepal and Tibet) and the Drakensberg, the highest mountain range in South Africa. It is in these mountains that our specialties lie in providing professional guiding and consulting services. We organise tours and charity events. We also endeavour to provide accurate and helpful information on our webiste through forums, articles and various other tools and services.

Vertical Endeavour is Chris Sommer and Dom Wieners, two long-standing friends who are irresistably drawn to mountains and who can't seem to get enough of the Drakensberg. Many experiences in these mountains led to a dream to write about them and to provide the services we now offer. Chris spends every opportunity in the Drakensberg or in the Himalayas of Nepal and Tibet. Having previously lived in Nepal for several years, his experience in this region provide an invaluable resource to the services of Vertical Endeavour. Dom designed this website and runs Core Image Design, which provides professional web and image design services.