SUMMIT OF SECOND CHANCES

Climbing for those still fighting.

Founded by DOPE Outdoor Packs owner Doug Brock, the campaign was born from more than 24 years of military service, surviving heart failure, and the realization that being given a second chance comes with an opportunity to do something meaningful with it.

This isn't simply about climbing Everest.

It's about using the journey to raise awareness, generate support for veteran-serving organizations, and carry a message to anyone still fighting their own mountain.

Your hardest chapter doesn't have to be your last.

WHY I’M CLIMBING

A second chance deserves a purpose.

Military Life has found a way to make me accustomed to difficult things. But some of the hardest battles came afterward.

In 2023, I survived acute heart failure - a 95% fatality rate. What followed became a different kind of fight—recovery, rebuilding, heartbreak, personal loss, and figuring out what I wanted the next chapter of my life to mean. For a long time, I lived under a dark cloud that slowly became toxic, consuming parts of my life and making it difficult to see anything beyond it. There were moments when I truly believed I would never find my way out from underneath that darkness—but eventually, I found a reason to keep moving forward—and that reason is to continue serving others.

Eventually, I realized I didn't want simply to survive what happened to me. I wanted to do something with the second chance I had been given.

That idea became Summit of Second Chances.

Mount Everest is the destination.

But the real mission is everything that happens between here and the summit.

THE ROAD TO EVEREST

Everest isn't the beginning. It's the destination.

Reaching the highest point on Earth requires years of preparation, progressively higher mountains, technical training, physical conditioning, and experience operating at extreme altitude.

The journey will unfold through a series of major expeditions. Phase 1 & 2 are qualifying expeditions for the ultimate objective: Mount Everest.

Phase 1 - Cotopaxi & Cayambe Peaks (Ecuador)

Cotopaxi | 19,347 ft

Cayambe | 18,996 ft

Jan 21 - Feb 3, 2027

Phase 2 - Manaslu (Nepal)

Manaslu | 26,781 ft

Sept 3 - Oct 15, 2027

Phase 3 - Mount Everest - The Ultimate Objective

Nepal | 29,032 ft

Summit: Spring 2028 (date TBD)

THE MISSION IS BIGGER THAN THE MOUNTAIN

This was never supposed to be just about Everest.

Every mountain provides an opportunity to tell a story.

Every expedition creates an opportunity to reach someone.

And every summit creates an opportunity to give back.

Summit of Second Chances is being built as a platform for veteran advocacy, fundraising, resilience, and second chances.

Throughout the Road to Everest, the campaign will work alongside veteran-focused organizations helping connect veterans with the resources, community, treatment, opportunities, and support they need to continue moving forward.

Because sometimes the biggest mountains aren't the ones we climb.

They're the ones people fight when nobody else is watching. That's who I'm climbing for.

FROM DOPE TO EVEREST

KEEP MOVING FORWARD & LEAD THE WAY.

That message has been part of DOPE Outdoor Packs from the beginning. Today, it means more than ever. DOPE was founded by Doug, a veteran with a love for the outdoors and the belief that sometimes the best thing you can do when life gets difficult is simply keep moving forward.

Summit of Second Chances takes that philosophy somewhere completely new.

Keep Moving Forward. Lead the Way. And climb for those still fighting.

BECOME PART OF THE JOURNEY

The journey will be documented throughout the entire Road to Everest—from training and qualifying expeditions to the Himalayas and, ultimately, Everest. There are several ways to become part of the mission.

FOLLOW THE JOURNEY
Follow the training, expeditions, setbacks, victories, stories, and Road to Everest.

SUPPORT THE MISSION
Help support the expeditions and fundraising efforts benefiting organizations serving the veteran community.

PARTNER WITH US
Companies, organizations, brands, and individuals can become partners in the journey through sponsorships, financial contributions, equipment, services, and in-kind support.