Today’s guest blogger, Tyrhee Moore, is a member of Expedition Denali, the first all-African American team of climbers attempting to summit Denali in June 2013. Tyrhee is a freshman at the University of West Virginia working toward a bachelor’s degree in visual journalism. 

If you had asked me to a climb a mountain when I was growing up, I would have totally been down for it even though I had no idea what a mountain even looked like.

I grew up in Washington D.C. where the closest thing to a mountain was the pile of clothes that built up in my room. I grew up loving basketball, baseball and soccer because those were the sports offered at the nearby recreational center. My mom kept me doing activities and different programs to keep me from falling into gang violence and drugs like some of my friends did growing up.

While working at the camp, I was offered a scholarship to do a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) wilderness course in Alaska. It was a great experience! I had never been camping for such a long period of time or been in such close quarters with complete strangers. By the end of the course I felt as though I could do anything.

The following year I was given another scholarship to do an NOLS Outdoor Educator mountaineering course in the Pacific Northwest. When I got there I wasn’t sure what exactly mountaineering was but I just went with the flow. I left that course with a lot of knowledge and had a new appreciation for the outdoors. One of the things I like most is that you have to find yourself out there, and you have to work for what you want—nothing is given to you.

While on that course, I talked with my instructors about working for NOLS and received a Fellowship to work at the NOLS Alaska base for the summer and an invitation to join Expedition Denali. It was amazing.

I’m not only climbing Denali for myself but I’m also climbing it for those kids who are growing up without exposure to the outdoors. I just want people to know that there are so many things the world can offer.