My name is Jon Glassberg and I own a production company called Louder Than Eleven. I make movies about climbing and adventure based out of Boulder, Colorado.

About two years ago I teamed up with outdoor clothing company Marmot and professional climber Paige Claassen to produce a world tour that would combine high end rock climbing in remote places of the world while simultaneously raising money for women and children in the countries we visited.

The project is called “Lead Now” and our goal is simple; spend one month in each country trying to climb the hardest routes we can find while working with non-profit organizations to develop marketing materials that they could use to fundraise for themselves and through our project.  The catch was that we wouldn’t be coming home between each months adventure and we would be traveling from one country to the next for nine months learning as we go.

Stop #1: South Africa

Marmot’s Lead Now Tour kicked off in South Africa with two major goals. Make the first female ascent of one of the world’s most aesthetically perfect routes and raise money for Room to Read, a non-profit that focuses on literacy and gender equality in education. Follow Paige on her journey to make the first ascent of “Digital Warfare” (5.14a) and learn about what Room to Read is doing to make a difference in South African schools.

Look here for more videos and information about the Lead Now Tour, follow our Instagram (#leadnowtour), or visit our Facebook page.

Love elephant and want to go steady?

Sign up for our (curated) daily and weekly newsletters!

Editor: Jenna Penielle Lyons

Photo: Courtesy of the author and editor