Don’t just climb somewhere wild and exotic—give something back to the locals

Park City ophthalmologist Dr. Geoff Tabin founded The Himalayan Cataract Project in 1995 to cure the blindness that plagued the people in the regions of the world he loved to climb. His innovation and determination have made possible a life-altering cataract surgery for only $20 that reaches the most needy patients throughout the Himalayas and in regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. On August 28, Tabin will hold a fundraiser, The Colorado Night for Sight Gala, at the American Alpine Club in Golden, Colorado. cureblindness.org

In 2006, Shannon Galpin reached out from her mountain town of Breckenridge, Colorado, to the mountain towns in Afghanistan to advocate girl power. From educating girls in Afghan villages where no woman can read or write, to teaching them midwifery skills in a country with the highest maternal death rate in the world, Galpin’s non-profit Mountain2Mountain, aims to prove that girls are the most underutilized resource world, and that tapping into that energy can move the mountains of gender inequity. On August 22, Mountain2Mountain will host “Race for the Mountains,” a 5K/10K trail run fundraiser in Breck. mountain2mountain.org

In June, 32-year-old Boulder resident Mel Miller ascended 20,320-foot Denali, North America’s highest peak, then skied down the summit. She was one of 15 athletes participating in G Movement, a partnership between Gatorade and the global humanitarian group Action Against Hunger, to raise funds and awareness for the fight against hunger and malnutrition. actionagainsthunder.org/g-movement