No woman has ever ridden a bike from the base of Mount Kilimanjaro to its 19,341-foot summit in a single push. This fall, professional cyclist Hannah Otto is attempting it — nearly 15,000 feet of climbing, temperatures swinging from 80°F at the base to below freezing at the summit. If she makes it, she’ll be the first woman to do it. All with a goal to fund 1,000 bikes for people who need them to reach school, healthcare, and jobs.
Want in? Want to help Hannah reach her goal? Bid on a spot on a 2027 Climate Ride trip in the Beyond the Summit Silent Auction — 100% of your winning bid goes straight to Hannah’s 1,000 bike effort. Auction closes August 20. Read on to find out why Climate Ride is supporting this badass effort!
Hi All,
My name is Hannah Otto and I’ve been racing bikes professionally for more than a decade. I’ve won some of the biggest races in off-road cycling, from a Marathon World Cup to the infamous Leadville 100. I’ve had the honor of representing my country at 5 World Championships and I’ve donned the stars and stripes as a National Champion. I’ve set numerous records, including my heart-wrenching journey to breaking the fastest known time on the Kokopelli Trail.
But through all of the victories, the bike has given me so much more than just success. My bike is a tool I get to use to see the world.
I’ve ridden through hardly touched areas of the Swiss Alps, gotten lost in the Pyrenees, and stopped for water in tiny Italian villages. I’ve had race courses rerouted because of aggressive cobras in South Africa, ridden past wallabies in Australia, and carried bear spray through Banff. I’ve traversed the rainforests of Costa Rica from coast to coast and celebrated at the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
And that’s truly just scratching the surface.
Some of my favorite moments and best memories in life have been made possible by two wheels.
In the fall of this year, I’ll be taking on my biggest challenge yet, as I aim to set the women’s fastest known time up and down Mount Kilimanjaro on the bike. If successful, I will be the first woman ever to climb Kilimanjaro by bike in a single day.
This effort will take me up a vertical 15,000 feet of climbing, topping out just over 19,000 feet at the summit. It will span multiple climate zones, ranging from a possible 80 degrees Fahrenheit at the base to temperatures in the negatives at the summit. There’s a lot of risk involved in the attempt, and if I’m being honest, it scares me. That’s exactly the point, though.
My big, scary, dangerous attempt on Kilimanjaro is a chosen challenge.
There are people every day who face challenges they don’t choose. Some people don’t know how they will access the things they need to survive.
That’s why I’m doing this attempt to raise money for World Bicycle Relief. Alongside The Intrepid Foundation, I’m working to raise enough funds to donate 1,000 bikes through World Bicycle Relief for people in rural communities who need them for life-changing or life-saving access to school, healthcare, and jobs.
Right now, we have an online silent auction with an extremely generous donation from Climate Ride that you can bid on! You can bid on and win a spot on any 2027 USA-based trip from Climate Ride. Place a bid now and 100% of the winning bid goes directly to World Bicycle Relief, and you get to join a Climate Ride trip at a discounted rate. It really is a win-win situation! Thank you, Climate Ride, for supporting my mission.
Happy Riding,
Hannah
The auction is now through August 20! You can view it here.
Why Climate Ride is behind this
Kilimanjaro’s ice cap has lost roughly 75% of its mass since 1912. That glacial melt feeds rivers like the Weru-Weru and Kikafu, headwaters that nearly 2 million people downstream depend on for drinking water and agriculture — and as the glaciers vanish, those rivers are running dry more often, especially in the dry season. It’s the same crisis playing out on the mountain Hannah is climbing and in the communities receiving her bikes: water and mobility, both getting harder to access as the climate changes. Supporting Hannah and World Bicycle Relief (a Climate Ride grantee) isn’t separate from our mission — it’s part of it.
Bid before August 20 — support 1,000 bikes and win your own Climate Ride adventure.
View the auction → https://us.givergy.com/beyondthesummit/?controller=home
Bid on your own Climate Ride journey: a beginner-friendly road ride, a scenic hike, or a rugged gravel tour through some of North America’s most breathtaking landscapes — from Glacier to Death Valley. Stay in cozy hotels or sleep under the stars, wind through national parks, or cruise scenic byways. Every event is fully supported for all skill levels, so you can focus on the journey while your miles fund real environmental and community impact.
*Only eligible for 2027 U.S. Based Trips (Destinations such as Puerto Rico, Whitefish, Death Valley & Red Rock, South Dakota’s Black Hills & Badlands, the Great Divide, the Teton Crest Trail, Crater Lake & Central Oregon, Glacier National Park, Vermont, Burlington to Bar Harbor, Missouri’s Katy Trail, and Joshua Tree & Anza-Borrego. Visit the official event pages for inclusions and trip details).
See All Climate Ride Events→ https://www.climateride.org/events/
