Photo Credit: gamillos – flickr.com

Adam Peterman is a senior at Hellgate High School in Missoula, MT. Unlike the average high school senior, however, Peterman has not been slacking off and biding his time as he awaits graduation in the spring. Instead, Adam recently traveled from Death Valley, California to the peak of Mount Whitney in just 48 hours time using only his own power. He began his brief but arduous journey on December 20 and finished on December 22.

On the first day, Peterman biked from Death Valley (-280 feet) 150 miles to the base of Mount Whitney. On the second day, he climbed the 14,500 foot mountain for a net climb of 14,774 feet. That’s a pretty big deal for a teenager, but he had some help from his high school cross country coach and senior project adviser  Mike Foote. Foote is an accomplished runner himself, having just finished the grueling Ultra-Trail de Mont Blanc, while surprising most media outlets by finishing third in this year’s competition. So you can be sure Peterman got some expert advice on his journey.

Plus, there’s a big reason Peterman went through such a crazy physical ordeal. As well as the journey being a part of his senior project, he is trying to bring awareness to the endless possibilities of the outdoors. In that vein, he set up a fundraising drive to raise $5,000 for Outdoor Nation, which attempts to bring millennial children into more direct contact with nature.

We support any attempts to get more kids outdoors and Peterman’s enthusiasm for avoiding the mundane is certainly something every Adrenalist can appreciate.

Cover Photo Credit: MiguelVieira – flickr.com