2018 Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award Open for Applications
The Award aims to encourage others to continue the late American alpinist's legacy of embarking on adventurous, solo expeditions—be they climbing or otherwise—around the globe.
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The late American alpinist Kyle Dempster dreamed big—whether it be of mountains, bike expeditions or other endeavors entirely. To honor his memory and keep the legacy of those sweeping, oftentimes solitary dreams alive, Dempster’s friends and family, along with several of his former sponsors, have combined forces to establish the Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award. The application period for the 2018 Award is now open!
Dempster disappeared with Scott Adamson on the North face of Ogre II in Pakistan in 2016. In addition to his alpine exploits, Dempster frequently undertook large-scale independent expeditions of all stripes, from biking solo across Kyrgyzstan to kiteskiing solo across Baffin Island.
“Each year, the Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award will be given to an American solo adventurer embarking on a journey that embodies Kyle’s passionate spirit and love of exploration, with an emphasis on storytelling and leave no trace ethics,” reads the press release for the inaugural 2018 edition of the Award. “The recipients are by no means limited to climbers, and the trips awarded by no means must involve the big mountains Kyle loved—on the contrary, we encourage applications for human-powered solo adventures of all kinds—big or small, remote or urban, cold and icy or hot and sunny.”
Hopefuls for the 2018 Award will vie for approximately $4,000 and significant amounts of sponsor-donated gear to support their expeditions. Award organizers say that, depending on the number of applicants, the prize may be awarded to a single individual or split between multiple parties.
To find the application for the 2018 Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award, visit https://kdsoloaward.wordpress.com/. The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2018, and the winner(s) will be annuonced on March 27—Dempster’s birthday.
The full press release is reprinted in full below:
Salt Lake City, UT (January 15, 2018)—The family and close friends of the late Kyle Dempster, with the support of Outdoor Research, Higher Ground Coffee, Black Diamond, CiloGear, Keen Footwear, PROBAR, La Sportiva, Liberty Mountain and Hyperlite Mountain Gear and Duct Tape Then Beer, are excited and proud to announce the first annual Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award.
One of America’s great young alpinists best known for first ascents of big remote peaks around the globe, Kyle Dempster was a passionate climber, adventurer and friend who fully lived his 33 years before he and his climbing partner Scott Adamson disappeared while attempting to climb the North Face of the Ogre II in Pakistan, in August of 2016.
Though Kyle loved climbing, traveling and going on adventures with friends, many of his most memorable and creative trips were done alone, traversing wild corners of the world by himself and under his own power. From kiteskiing hundreds of miles across Baffin Island, to his biking and climbing trip across Kygryzstan that was made famous in the short film The Road from Karakol, Kyle found a deep sense of meaning and joy in exploring the world on his own.
Each year, the Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award will be given to an American solo adventurer embarking on a journey that embodies Kyle’s passionate spirit and love of exploration, with an emphasis on storytelling and leave no trace ethics. The recipients are by no means limited to climbers, and the trips awarded by no means must involve the big mountains Kyle loved—on the contrary, we encourage applications for human-powered solo adventures of all kinds—big or small, remote or urban, cold and icy or hot and sunny.
Applications will be accepted from January 15–March 15, 2018 for trips taking place between April 1, 2018–March 31, 2019.
Further information and the application form can be found at www.KDSoloAward.com. Applications must be submitted via email to KDsoloaward@gmail.com, subject line [Solo Adventure Award Application].
The winner will be announced on March 27, Kyle’s birthday.
Contact: Andy Anderson
708-703-7445
KDsoloaward@gmail.com
Also read Life and Death in the Karakoram: Climbing Latok I and Ogre II