Donald Jacobsen

An avid runner and athlete his entire life, Don Jacobsen entered the world of climbing on a whim in December 1999. Visiting relatives in Bishop, California, near Mt. Whitney, Don decided to climb the mountain. How hard could it be? He registered with the forest service, and by the end of the day he had failed in his attempt to summit. He swore he would never climb again.

Eight months later, Don found himself back on Mt. Whitney, and this time he summitted the 14,494 ft. mountain. Exhilarated, his passion for climbing was born. In 2001 he successfully completed a mountaineering school and subsequently planned a Denali (Mt. McKinley) climb. Don trained rigorously for six months, and summitted Denali (20,320 ft.) in July 2002.

Don’s next climb would not be for eighteen months, with family obligations filling his schedule. Then in February 2004, he climbed 22,481 ft. Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina. When he returned, his son, Evan, 13 at the time, made Don recount every day of the trip in detail. And when the story was over, he asked his father to tell him again. As Evan’s interest in climbing grew, Don knew the inevitable question would arise – would Evan be allowed to climb? When Evan asked, Don agreed, and Evan began training, completing his own weeklong mountaineering school in Washington. With Evan’s first course completed, Don and Evan planned their first climbs together – Mt. Elbrus, Russia (18,510 ft.), and Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia (7,310 ft.) in July 2005. Due to bad weather, the pair failed on both attempts.

Don expected Evan to quit the sport, but instead, Evan renewed his commitment to conquer these two mountains as well as the five other tallest peaks on the world’s seven continents. Wanting to use their climbs to not only fulfill personal goals but also to help others, Evan decided to raise money for housing projects in country’s where they would climb. Don was proud of his son’s decision, and supported Evan’s creation of Summit7. Don’s two daughters, Tara, a Cornell graduate now studying veterinary medicine UC Davis, and Laura, a Disney employee, both donated time to missions abroad to build housing for various charities, and Don sees Summit7 as Evan’s contribution to the world.

Don, a business owner and Certified Public Accountant, is a graduate of USC and has owned elderly care homes in the Southern California area for over 20 years. Don has been married to Evangelyn for 25 years, and she wholeheartedly supports Don’s and Evan’s efforts. Edie, as she’s known, has joined Don and Evan on several trips, and she succesfully summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kosciuszko with "her boys" in 2006.

Don’s favorite quote is “Luck is where preparation and opportunity meet.” With the opportunity right in front of them, it’s now all about the preparation – which Don takes very seriously. “Prepare the best you can, and make smart decisions,” says Don.