Meet Dante
Meet Dante! Growing up on Long Island Sound (near NYC), Dante was relatively unfamiliar with hiking mountains until becoming introduced to backpacking while attending a summer camp at age nine. His passion for the outdoors flourished with every trip into the White Mountains of New Hampshire, even spending a semester of High School at the High Mountain Institute, where he became acquainted with longer distance backpacking, and leading hiking trips.
Dante taking in the sights of the Pemigewasset Wilderness
This past summer, Dante returned to the White Mountains, to help guide and introduce new, young campers to his beloved mountains. During this camping session, Dante worked hard behind the scenes, packing on miles and elevation at any opportunity - usually in the early morning hours, before campers woke. A major goal for Dante was to complete the 30+ mile loop around the Pemigewasset Wilderness - known as the Pemi Loop, or Pemi Bowl. Summiting some of the most picturesque (and tallest) mountains of the range, Dante not only crushed this goal, but several days later returned to the high hills to stand atop his final, 48th 4000-footer of the White Mountains!
What’s next for Dante? The sky is the limit, as they say! Well into his journey of summiting all 4000-footers of the Adirondack Mountains, he has aspirations of finishing climbing those peaks in New York, paying a visit to the Teton Mountains in Wyoming, as well as trail running sections of the Grand Canyon in Arizona - perhaps someday even thru-hiking the ~2,100-mile Appalachian Trail!
Dante’s advice for anyone looking to get into hiking, backpacking, or trail running? Just get out the door and go do it - don’t let age, or body type be a limiting factor - the only way to get better is to get on trail and put in the work!
Congratulations, Dante on your epic achievements -
we cannot wait to see where you trek to next!
Dante (left) and Erik finish a 31.5-mile Pemi Loop
