Bethany Garretson To Climb

All 46 High Peaks In 8 Days

CHERRY VALLEY – Bethany Garretson, a 2004 graduate of Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School and now an instructor at Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks, is planning to climb all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks in a span of eight days later this month.

Bethany is attempting to become the first woman ever to complete an “unsupported thru-hike” of the High Peaks, which means she will be carrying everything she needs for the 200-plus mile journey in a 30-pound pack.

No car rides, food drops, no power outlets—just her own two feet from beginning to end.

She’ll hike mountain to mountain, a total of 96,000 vertical feet, averaging 15 hours per day at approximately two miles per hour, and sleeping just five hours per night in the backcountry. In conjunction with the climbs, she’s launched a fundraising campaign — “Climb it 4 Climate” — with a goal of raising $46,000 for sustainable living initiatives at Paul Smith’s College.

Bethany is closely watching the long-term weather forecast for the safest eight-day window between August 6 and 20, and expects to make her decision on a start date by Wednesday, August 3.