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“Don’t wait until it’s too late to do what matters most.”

– Robert Alt, Founder of PROFOUND CLIMBING™

Welcome

PROFOUND CLIMBING™ is a methodology developed by Robert Alt that applies not only to high-altitude expeditions, but also to the endeavors of anyone who commits to self-improvement through personal growth, hard work, individual and team achievement, establishing community and camaraderie, embracing the unknown, unpleasant, and uncertain, exploring the natural world in both its beauty and harshness, and transforming the impossible into the completed triumphs that make this “one wild and precious life*” so meaningful. 

It is demanding, but life-altering—requiring significant wisdom, resolve, prudence, skill, perseverance, courage, and fortitude. You already have these necessary tools within yourself. 

¡Ándale!

Robert Alt, Founder
PROFOUND CLIMBING™

*Quoted from the last line of Mary Oliver’s The Summer Day, which was originally published in 1992 as part of the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning New and Selected Poems, Volume One. 

  • Robert Alt

    Robert Alt

    Founder of PROFOUND CLIMBING™

    Robert Alt is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Buckeye Institute in Columbus, Ohio (United States of America).

    He is an accomplished lawyer by profession and a dedicated mountaineer by hobby.

    Alt is also an engaging public speaker whose alpine training and other adventures inspired him to develop the concept and coin the phrase: PROFOUND CLIMBING™—an approach to facing challenges that catalyzes actively choosing and progressing toward worthy aspirational goals through strategic steps, which can be taken anywhere from sea level to the peak of Mount Everest.

    For Alt, PROFOUND CLIMBING™ has imbued deep purpose in and connection to the outdoor sport he enjoys in his spare time. Although he resides with his wife and dog in the middle of the country—with no significant elevation nearby—he is methodically making his way up the Seven Summits of the World (the highest mountain on each of the seven continents).

  • Pasang Dawa Sherpa

    Pasang Dawa Sherpa

    Independent Mountain Guide (CTSS)

    Pasang Dawa Sherpa (also known as “PaDawa” for short) was honored with the Adventure Tourism Excellence in Mountaineering award recognizing his extraordinary achievements including summitting Mount Everest an astounding 27 times—which puts him in second place behind only Kami Rita Sherpa. 

    Born in Pangboche—one of the oldest village settlements in the Khumbu region of Nepal, which has resisted modernization and remained intertwined with its proud culture, spiritual traditions, and ancient history—Pasang Dawa began his career as a porter. Over the years, he has become an experienced and well-qualified Himalayan guide whose favorite mountain has always been Ama Dablam. 

    Pasang Dawa first ascended Everest in 1998—assisting British adventurer Bear Grylls—and is seeking his 28th summit of the world’s tallest peak in May 2025 while privately leading American Robert Alt one-on-one for the expedition. 

    Representing his legendary profession with the utmost competence, Pasang Dawa Sherpa is 48 years old and married with a grown son who is a Gurkha. 

Follow Robert Alt's Everest Expedition

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Follow Robert Alt's Everest Expedition >>

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