Born in the Valley

Forged at the Summit

AscenDB is the result of many long roads trip through the high-desert American west. Looking out the windows of the car at the faraway peaks, I would wonder which was the highest and itch to climb them. Since that time I've been able to scratch the climbing itch, but I still had the hunger for raw data.

After mapping out 150 summits near the Treasure Valley by hand and individually plotting them on a Google map, I realized I needed a better solution.

Wherever you are, there's usually a peak nearby

I once drove from Idaho to Massachusetts, and I was initially appalled at the comparative flatness of the midwest. The food and friendliness were unsurpassed, but where were the hills and highpoints? I imagine more than few midwest travelers and maybe even some locals have the same question, and it turns out there's quite a number. That's why AscenDB is geared toward finding peaks near you, wherever you happen to be.

So many peaks, only one lifetime.

The other big motivation for building a peak-stat database is that, with so many peaks in the world, climbers need a way to prioritize the summit goals that are important to them. Although elevation is a common way to do so, it is not always the best stat. The highest peak in an area may not have the most impressive view. It may not be the most iconic or inspiring feature. Listing peaks by stats other than elevation can help climbers and hikers to better understand how rewarding a summit might be for them.