Bio

Sunny is a free spirit and adventurer.  A Harvard MBA and hard-charging strategy consultant in her twenties, she turned her back on material possessions and career at age 30 in order to live in an Astrovan so she could run and climb full-time instead.  

Sunny's overarching passion is to be active and push her limits in the side- and backcountry, spanning a multitude of sports from big-wall climbs over multi-day paddling trips to 100 milers and everything in between.  Her specialty is the high altitude endurance realm; she holds speed records on Aconcagua and on the Annapurna Circuit and has excelled on high trails in the Colorado Rockies. As a storyteller, Sunny draws on her experiences and adventures as a professional mountain athlete to connect with her audience through captivating visuals and engaging presentations - focusing on topics such as transformation, goal setting, perseverance, women empowerment and systematic decision-making in high risk environments. 

Business

Together with her husband Paul and husky Dasher, Sunny lives in Southern Utah and runs Dreamland Safari Tours which is the area’s premier hiking and backcountry guide service. Sunny also founded and runs AWExpeditions, a mountaineering expedition company for women and by women. In conjunction with her work at AWExpeditions, she serves as the executive director for the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation 501(c)(3) which works to increase gender equity on and off the mountains. She is an AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide and an outspoken advocate for women’s participation in the big mountain realm.

Sunny is a photographer for Cavan Images whose images have appeared (among others) in National Geographic, Trailrunner Magazine, Outside Online, Forbes, and print ads for brands like Patagonia, adidas Outdoor and Metolius Climbing. She is a sponsored athlete for LOWA, LEKI and GU Energy Labs; she also proudly serves as an ambassador for Nite Ize and f-stop Gear.

Sunny holds the following professional certificates:  

• Wilderness First Responder

• Level 2 AIARE Avalanche Rescue

• FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilot

• PADI Divemaster

Major Summits

• Mt Kosciuszko (7,310ft), Australia - August 2023; Winter Ascent

• Mt Rainier (14,410ft), Washington - June 2023

• Mt Whitney (14,505ft), California - May 2023; Winter MR ascent, SOLO

• Aconcagua (22841ft), Argentina - annual expeditions since 2014; women’s speed record from basecamp (Plaza de Mulas) to the summit in 8h47mins; first woman to complete the 100km+ 360 Route and summit in a single push

• Ishinca (18143ft), Peru - June 2022 & July 2023

• Mt Baker (10786ft), Washington - August 2021 & June 2023

• Mera Peak (21247ft), Nepal - November 2017

• Kilimanjaro (19340ft), Tanzania - November 2016 & 2022, August 2024

• Surya Peak (16880ft), Nepal - November 2016

• Mt Shasta (14180ft), California - May 2012 & July 2016

• Grand Teton (13776ft), Wyoming - August 2015; SOLO

• Mt Hood (11250ft), Oregon - August 2015; SOLO

• Dom (14911ft), Switzerland - August 2013; SOLO

• Cotopaxi (19347ft), Ecuador - December 2012

• Mt Shasta (14180ft), California - May 2012

• Island Peak (20305ft), Nepal - November 2011, October 2019

Other attempts / no summit:  Tocllaraju (2022 & 2023), Kusum Kanguru - Nepal (2016 & 2019), Cabeza de Condor - Bolivia (2013), Antisana - Ecuador (2013), Cayambe - Ecuador (2012), Chimborazo - Ecuador (2012). 

Select Climbs

• Magic Mushroom, 5.7 A3 VI, El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, September 2023

• Mountaineers Route, 5.9 III, Elephant’s Perch, August 2022

• Triple Direct, 5.9 C2 VI, El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, September 2019

• Forbes Arete, AD IV, Aiguille du Chardonnet, June 2019

• Cosmiques Arete, AD II, Aiguille du Midi, June 2019

• Touchstone Wall, 5.9 C2 V, Zion National Park, November 2018

• Washington Column South Face, 5.8 C1 V, Yosemite National Park, October 2018

• Time Wave Zero, 5.11 A0 III, El Potrero Chico, December 2017

• Lurking Fear, 5.7 C2 VI, El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, October 2017

• West Face of Leaning Tower, 5.7 C2 V, Yosemite National Park, July 2017

• Beckey-Chouinard, 5.10 A0 IV, Bugaboo Provincial Park, July 2016 and August 2017

• Virginia to Tangerine Trip A2+ 5.7 VI, El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, June 2016

• Spaceshot 5.7 C2 IV, Zion National Park, May 2016; SOLO

• Moonlight Buttress 5.8 C1 V, Zion National Park, November 2014

As well as numerous shorter multi-pitch routes and single pitch climbs across North America, Europe and Asia. 

Outstanding Trails, Journey Runs & Races

• Iditarod Trail Invitational 1000M on skis, March 2024; first woman & fifth person in the 24-year history of the race

• Grand Canyon R2R2R-alt (20:10, female FKT), October 2023; SOLO

• Grand Canyon Nankoweap In-A-Day, May 2023

• Iditarod Trail Invitational 350M on fat bike, March 2023

• Grand Canyon Deer Creek Loop (13:56, OKT), October 2022

• Uinta Crusher Loop (22:49, female FKT), August 2022

• Paria White House to Lee’s Ferry (9:10, female FKT), April 2022

• Iditarod Trail Invitational 350M on skis, March 2021 & 2022

• Grand Canyon Tuckup Trail (69:23, OKT), November 2021

• Grand Canyon R2R2R-alt (22:27, female FKT), October 2020

• Virgin River Rim Trail 50k (8:25, female FKT), August 2020

• Buckskin-Paria Wire Pass to Lee’s Ferry (14:44, female FKT), May 2020

• TransQilian 105KM overall FKT (20:59, 4hrs faster than the previous male course record), August 2019

• Ouray 100M 2018 (44:46, 1st placed woman), July 2018

• Pfiffner Traverse 76M with 55.5k vertical feet - female FKT, July 2018

• Hayduke Trail, 685M (variation on 812M standard route), 32 days, April/May 2018

• Annapurna Circuit 136M with 66.6k vertical feet - new female speed record in 3days 23hrs 39mins, November 2017

• Bandera USATF 100KM Trail Championships 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016 (PR 12:50, 9th placed female in the championship race)

• Ghosts of Yellowstone 100M 2014 (38:55, 3rd placed female)

• Rocky Raccoon 50M 2014 (10:16)

• Western States 100M 2013 (29:42)

• Transvulcania 83KM 2013 (13:44)

• Grand Canyon R2R2R 2013 & 2015 (PR 14:58)

• Lean Horse 100M 2012 (23:52, 6th placed female)

Other runs: Uinta Crusher Loop - DNF (2020); Nolan’s 14 DNF - 13 out of 14 peaks, 71hrs (2019); Gosaikunda-Kutumsang-Nagarkot journey run - Nepal, 3.5 days (2016); Jomolhari-Laya-Gasa journey run - Bhutan, 8 days (2015); Chimera 100M - California, DNF at mile 87 (2013); Diagonale des Fous 100M - La Reunion, DNF at kilometer 97 (2012).