Explorer of the Season – Summer 2022

Welcome to Explorer of the Season! This award seeks to celebrate one dedicated young person who has immersed themselves into the world of adventure while also being a devoted teammate, consciousness steward, and coachable adventurer. The following article is written by its recipient for the summer of 2022, Ryan Byington.

“Strong Minds, Strong Hearts, Just Dream It, Don’t Think It,” the guides chanted every night.

I decided to climb the highest point in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the summer before entering my senior year of high school. Waking up at 11 pm to start our final climb, I was nauseous and fatigued. Barely able to walk and knowing that an eight-hour journey was ahead to achieve a lifetime goal of mine, and having difficulty walking due to fatigue, I remembered the saying our main guide, Yesse, would tell us at every camp following our dinner.

Although faced with difficult challenges to overcome on many journeys, Mountain Goat Movement has given me the opportunity to experience and understand how to conquer these challenges and reach the main accomplishment. During these trips with Mountain Goat Movement, I have made lifelong friends, some of whom I had never even known before embarking on a new adventure. While Mt. Kilimanjaro was the hardest journey I have ever experienced with Mountain Goat Movement, there are many amazing trips that teach different long-lasting skills, such as going to Costa Rica and surfing, hiking in the Adirondacks, or staying in the Catskills playing spike ball and swimming in lakes. Overall, I am very grateful for what Mountain Goat Movement has taught me while on these challenging and enjoyable experiences, along with the lifelong skills and friends I made while on an adventure.