How Aretha Duarte Raised R$ 400K for Mount Everest
Through recycling, bazaars, and corporate sponsorship, the mountaineer funded her historic expedition in just over a year.
Discover the behind-the-scenes fundraising efforts for the 'From Scrap to Everest' project. In an interview on XTREMMA Sports, Aretha Duarte details how she turned recycling, bazaars, and auctions into the R$ 400,000 needed for her expedition.
Funding an expedition to the summit of Mount Everest requires a level of financial planning that often discourages athletes who lack major sponsors. For Aretha Duarte, the journey to 8,848 meters began far from the Himalayas: in recycling warehouses and grassroots community mobilization through the From Scrap to Everest project. Appearing on XTREMMA Sports with Shubi, the mountaineer explained the strategy that turned recycled waste into R$ 400,000 for her expedition.
From Recycling to Auctions and Bazaars
During the campaign's early months, the focus was entirely on collecting and selling recyclable materials. As the initiative gained traction, new fundraising streams emerged: selling t-shirts made from recycled PET plastic, organizing bazaars with donated clothing, books, and furniture, as well as hosting crowdfunding campaigns and auctions featuring mountain gear donated by fellow athletes.
The turning point in fundraising came around the eighth month, when seven corporate brands and sponsors joined the initiative—including names like The North Face, Spot, Dart Dack, and To The Five. Their combined contributions accelerated the goal, allowing her to reach exactly R$ 400,000 in 12 months and 15 days of continuous work.
Season Windows and High-Stakes Decisions
Time was working against mountain logistics. The weather window to summit Everest is strictly limited to the Northern Hemisphere spring, between March and May. Any delay in raising funds would mean postponing the trip by at least another twelve months.
During the fundraising phase, photographer Tiso brokered talks with Canal Off, which offered financial backing contingent on delaying the expedition until the following season. Duarte chose to decline the offer so as not to miss the open window, remaining focused on grassroots actions and securing her departure during the first viable season.
For the mountaineer, reaching the top of the world was never the ultimate end goal, but rather a visibility platform to launch social projects in marginalized communities. This ongoing sense of purpose has allowed her story to resonate well beyond the traditional news cycle of a high-altitude expedition.