Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunny Stroeer.
Hi Sunny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a guide service owner, sponsored mountain athlete, and outdoor photographer – but that’s far from where I started out. I grew up in Germany and was mostly a couch potato. I spent my twenties attending Harvard College, working in finance, getting an MBA from Harvard Business School, and starting a career in management consulting. Even though my life looked terrific on paper, I was far from happy. That’s when I decided to quit my job and start over. I moved into a $3,000 van and poured my heart and soul into mountain adventures. AWExpeditions, my women’s mountaineering organization, was born shortly thereafter.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting something from scratch is never easy, and AWE was no different. The organization began as a social cause and passion project instead of with a profit objective, which means that growing AWE into a sustainable business has had a very peculiar set of challenges. In 2021, I carved out the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation 501(c)(3) to differentiate more clearly between AWE’s social impact work and the organization’s commercial side which has to be profit-oriented in order to work; that has brought a lot of clarity and opened new doors.
The other challenge has been to find local guide partners whose values align with AWE’s mission: climbing and adventuring with AWE is about so much more than getting to the top; it’s about community and connection, about empowerment and transformation, and about end-to-end experiences. Since AWE specializes in the community experience, we usually partner with local certified guides to provide the technical guiding expertise. That said, it is incredibly important that our local guide partners subscribe to the same values rather than just shepherding folks up a mountain or along a trail. We already have a number of excellent partners both in the US and internationally but are constantly looking to make new connections.
We’ve been impressed with AWExpeditions, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
AWE is short for Awe-inspiring Women’s Expeditions and is pronounced /ô/, just like ‘awe’ in awe-inspiring. AWE organizes mountaineering and remote adventures for women, by women.
We are about more than getting to the top. Sure, summits matter – but what’s even more important is how you get there. AWE provides environments that are focused on skill-building, sound decision-making, and supportive team dynamics. That’s why our teams are on the smaller side (often in the 3-6 climber range, but never larger than 10) and our itineraries balance the desire to cover ground with sufficient time for exploration and acclimatization as well as skills practice where needed.
Mountaineering is a journey. We realize that you don’t just wake up one day ready to climb a 20,000ft peak in the Himalayas, just because you want to. It takes time and experience to develop the requisite skills to move efficiently and safely through varying terrain and conditions at high altitude. That’s why we at AWE offer everything from Stepping Stone Experiences and Basecamp Clinics to High Camp Adventures and Peak Expeditions – you can start out by backpacking the Paria Canyon or climbing 14,000ft Mount Shasta with us, and gradually work your way up to 22,838ft Aconcagua or high-altitude mountaineering in the Everest Region.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Kanab is an awesome home base. The truth is that AWExpeditions could be headquartered anywhere — we organize big mountain adventures around the world — but it’s wonderful to live in a small desert community in Southern Utah where there are but two stoplights that punctuate the (as the town’s tag line says) the Greatest Earth on Show.
As an outdoor adventurer, I thrive on wide-open spaces, beauty, remoteness, and the opportunity to push myself in a far-out environment. Kanab delivers all that and more. Having lived in London, Boston, New York, DC, and Houston before… I finally feel like I’ve come home!
Pricing:
- All adventures with AWExpeditions are multi-day trips, ranging from 6 days to 3 weeks.
- Prices vary depending on the length and destination; they start at ~$2,000.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.awexpeditions.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awexpeditions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWEClimbing/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxD25pC4yQPpeLv-kUlWWg
- Other: www.summitscholarship.org (the 501(c)(3) non-profit side to AWE)
Image Credits
AWE
Sunny Stroeer
