Climbing Mount Vinson 2024

Hi! Great that you found me!

My name is Wilco Dekker and I am eager to climb Mount Vinson in January 2024. This will be nr. 7 of the Seven Summits. On May 23rd 2019 I made it to the top of Mount Everest and wrote a book about this amazing adventure. This English version of my website is a short version of the Dutch web pages. If you are interested in understanding what it takes to get prepared for climbing the most remote and coldest mountain of the world, what it takes to climb Mount Everest and what it takes to climb the Seven Summits then follow me to the top via my blogs.

History
I got interested in climbing when I reached the summit of the Kilimanjaro in 2001. Although it still took me a while before actually getting into snow and glacier climbing I have always been fascinated by mountains. In 2007 I cycled the Friendship Highway from Lhasa to Kathmandu with a sidestep to Mount Everest Basecamp. My end point in 2007 was my starting point in 2019. I started my ascent to the top in April 2019 and reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 23 2019. In 2014 I picked up on the alpine style expedition climbing and climbed many peaks. The most famous ones are Mont Blanc, Mount Elbrus, Dufourspitze, Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid and Denali and of coruse Mount Everest. Looking back this was the biggest challenge. It did also open a lot of doors, it gave me the opportunity to write a book and to inspire others via lectures and key-notes that we can do more than we on forhand think we can. After a two year break due to covid I am now ready to start climbing Mount Vinson. I am looking forward to become part of the expedition team and feel honored to meet Mount Vinson, the highest mountain in Antarctica.

Doctors without Borders
I also have been working for 20 months for Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF). I worked on several missions in Congo and in Central African Republic (CAR) on a measles campaign and two hospital missions. An amazing journey with great reflections and experiences. It amazing to see that without any technology and without an overload of toys and trendy gadgets kids can still be happy, I figured that they are even happier than many kids in the Western world. It was a logical step to combine my climb of the Mount Everest with a mission to spread the word and work of Doctors without Borders. I wanted to collect 1 euro for each altimeter, adding up to 8.848 euro’s to be donated to Doctors without Borders. I opened a special account for them to raise the funding.

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Foundation
For Mount Vinson I have been looking for another charity that I can support with my climb of Mount Vinson. It feels good to do this for the Netherlands Cancer Institute (AVL – Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Foundation). They strive to develop a suitable and personalized treatment for every person with cancer. Despite their expertise and dedication, they would not be able to continue their groundbreaking cancer research without financial support. The Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Foundation strives to raise the necessary funds that will allow them to continue their high-quality research. I know several people around me who have been diagnosed with this desease. I am happy to contribute a little to the good work of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, so they can continue their research and master this desease at some point in time. It takes time, preparation, dedication and patience. It takes determination and confidence that the bigger goal is worth all the effort. Support them via this special account.

Grenzen aan de Top
With the foundation ‘Stichting Grenzen aan de Top’ I am trying to reach out to everybody and find partners that like to become part of the Expedition Sponsor Team and fund part of the expedition. I have created several packages to choose from with a unique reciprocity. Do you want the flag of your company reaching the top of the world? Do you want your company logo on a patch on my clothing? Interested in an inspirational keynote for your company? Interested in linking your company name to this inspiring project? Give me a call and I will send you more information! Mail or call me:

wilco@grenzenaandetop.nl / +316 5276 3590 / Stichting Grenzen aan de Top
Kamer van Koophandel nummer 71096450 / ING bank NL53 INGB 0008 3511 54

About Wilco Dekker
I am a passionate mountaineer, an adventurous traveller, a curious studious philosopher and above all an explorer and inspirator. Exploring what happens outside of your comfort zone and an inspirator to share all findings with those who are interested. I have four core values that are the guidelines of my life: Freedom / Adventure / Honesty / Respect. Guidelines can be different for everybody. These four represent my view of life and help me make the right decisions. Furthermore I am a big fan of windsurfing, snowboarding, do tricks on a slackline, love playing guitar, like motorbikes, martial arts and reading interesting books.

Next to mountaineering I am a technology strategist at the biggest telecom operator in the Netherlands. I follow trends, economy movements, technology inventions, human behavior and try to predict where we are heading in 5 to 10 years from now. Think how Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Nanotechnology, Synthetic Biology, Quantum Mechanics, 3D printing and all types of new protocols and algorithms will change our lives. Ethical questions and privacy will be crucial. What do we decide ourselves in the future? Read my article why climbing mountains and climbing Mount Everest and Mount Vinson help me to understand where to focus on when researching the technology strategy of the future.

Back to basic
To me there are two totally different worlds out there. One being our hectic, fast changing technology world. The other world: the world of the mountains. The main difference is that the latter focusses on the first two layers of the Maslow pyramid: Food, Water, Sleep, Shelter and Security. Something we take for granted in the Western world. These two bottom layers make me feel happy, it triggers something fundamental that make human beings being human again.

If you like to know more, follow me on this journey to the top of the Mount Vinson!

There is more out there, I hope to hear from you,
Wilco Dekker