Mount Shasta Climbing Expedition Being Organized for Disabled Vets

Veterans Green Jobs, Force Factor and Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides Offer Climbing Clinic in Preparation for Sept. 11 Expedition

Denver, Colo., May16, 2010 – Denver-based nonprofit Veterans Green Jobs and Boston-based Force Factor announce the formation of the Veterans Expedition Team-Shasta (VET-S). Designed to primarily engage physically and mentally disabled military veterans who recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan, VET-S will lead 12 veterans on a climbing expedition of Mount Shasta on September 11 of this year.

The climbing expedition will be preceded by a training clinic led and sponsored by Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides of Boulder. The clinic will be held June 25-27. Veterans Green Jobs and Force Factor are recruiting 12 interested veterans to participate.

Veterans with any disability, mental or physical, including amputations, are strongly encouraged to apply. All veterans from any time of service are also encouraged to apply. Funding to help participants receive the required adaptive technologies required to participate will be available on a case-by-case basis.

Jordan Latva, a Marine Corps veteran who was wounded in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004, is participating in the climb. Impacted by shrapnel that was embedded from his feet to his armpit due to an RPG explosion, Latva says the Mount Shasta expedition is just the experience he’s been looking for. “When the explosion happened, I thought I was going to lose my leg. Luckily that didn’t happen. That’s when I made a goal of climbing every fourteener in Colorado. I’m really excited to climb Mount Shasta.”

Criteria for climbers include the ability to:

• Walk with crampons and on uneven terrain
• Carry a 40-pound backpack
• Hold an ice axe and self-arrest
• Acclimate to an altitude of more than10,000 feet for sleeping
• Hike to a 14,000-foot summit
• Walk for up to 12 hours

Participants selected for the climbing clinic will receive one day of professional instruction and guiding from Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides before spending two days exploring and camping in the Rocky Mountains. All climbers will also be enrolled in a web-based training program created by Sterling Sports Group of Sunnyvale California. This comprehensive program includes daily workouts and a training log to help prepare the vets for the high-altitude fitness challenges.

Veterans Green Jobs and Force Factor are offering sponsorship opportunities to recreational and outdoor supply companies. The expedition team is seeking donations of climbing gear, camping gear and clothing.

Interested veterans and sponsors may contact Stacy Bare at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Nick Watson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Phone calls may also be received at 720-519-5837.

About Force Factor

Force Factor is a Boston-based sports nutrition company that launched in April 2009. Establishing itself as a leader in sports nutrition due to its focus on safety and efficacy, it has expanded rapidly from online distribution to exclusive retail distribution through GNC stores nationwide and plans to further expand its presence in 2010. Force Factor supports an exclusive group of athletes who represent the integrity and determination necessary to excel, as well as everyday heroes such as the Greenville, Mississippi police department. More information can be found at www.forcefactor.com.

About Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides

Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides is an outdoor adventure company based out of Boulder, Colorado that specializes in guided and self-guided activities and wilderness transportation. Founded in 2009 by Joshua Baruch, Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides provides support, access, and tours for unique mountain travel experiences and serves as an adventure hub and educational center for individual and group outings. For more information, visit www.ColoradoWildernessRidesAndGuides.com

About Veterans Green Jobs

Veterans Green Jobs is a national nonprofit organization based in Denver, Colo. that provides green jobs education, transition support, and career and enterprise development opportunities for military veterans, empowering and supporting them to lead America’s transition to energy independence, ecological restoration, community renewal, and economic prosperity.  VGJ was founded in 2008 and operates programs in a variety of green jobs fields including home energy efficiency, renewable energy, land conservation, and urban forestry. For more information, visit www.veteransgreenjobs.org.

About Sterling Sports Group

Sterling Sports Group provides performance coaching solutions for athletes across the wide spectrum of endurance sports. From cycling to triathlon, mountaineering to marathons, we strive to provide a seamless interface between personal attention, technology, and desire.  For more information, visit www.sterlingwins.com.

Media Contact:

Linda Lidov / (303) 358-6279 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it