CWES - Double Desolation Mind/Body Challenge

The Cascadian Wilderness Endurance Series events present an exciting opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to participate in a multimedia adventure blogging contest. These self-supported/unsupported events are open to trail runners, backpackers, fastpackers, and hikers, and each event features a unique and defined route which participants must complete on foot and in one push. Unlike traditional endurance races, there are no course markings or aid stations along the way, providing participants with the freedom to create their own adventure. It’s all up to you! Participants can choose to tackle the route solo or with a couple friends. There are no cutoffs, so participants can take as much time as they need to complete the route without pressure. This unique event is not just about the physical challenge or exploring wild and beautiful places, but also about the opportunity to capture and share the beauty of the wilderness through captivating multimedia content.

About the Mind/Body Challenge

The Double Desolation Route is an out and back from the East Bank Trailhead off Highway 20 in the North Cascades to the north end of Ross Lake and back. Participants must summit Desolation Peak twice, on both the out and the back. The complete route is 86+ miles. To complete the UltraPedestrian Mind/Body Challenge, participants must read or listen to one or more of Jack Kerouac's works attributed to his time on Desolation Peak and tie their experience on the trail to one of the books in their trip report. Finishers will receive a one of a kind finisher's patch. Trailhead is on a paved road.

Why should you pay $20 to complete one of the endurance challenges? A small part of the fee will go to cover website maintenance and domain registration, as well as getting patches made and other small goodies/swag. The majority of this fee will be donated to trail maintenance organizations. The goal is to empower people to get out into these wilderness areas and hopefully to protect them into the future.