In 2021, the Full Circle Everest team began a mission to climb the tallest mountain on earth—and make history in the process. As of 2020, there have been more than 10,000 summits of the mountain. To date, only 10 Black climbers have stood on the top of Everest. Full Circle’s goal wast to become the first all-Black climbing team to summit Mt. Everest, collectively raising the bar for diversity and inclusion in the outdoor community.
But this isn’t just about getting to the top–it’s about culture, community, and process. Their team is a building block for greater representation of minorities in the outdoors community, and will have a significant impact on the climbing community.
“Everest is not the end goal, but just the beginning. Our expedition will reshape the narrative of the outdoors to one that is inclusive and where everyone belongs,” the team shares on their GoFundMe. “The impact of this expedition will resonate long after its completion and will continue to highlight the importance of representation in the outdoors.”
The Full Circle team turned to their community to help them get to the top of Mt. Everest. Their community showed up, donating over $165,000. With these funds, the Full Circle team reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 12, 2022, cementing themselves in history and raising the bar in the outdoors and climbing communities.
“With community behind us, we believe that we can create lasting change.”