The 2023 CalTopo Adventure Grant is now open!
It’s back! Once again, CalTopo is excited to offer a number of small grants to motivated individuals and teams undertaking unique and personally challenging outdoor adventures. These grants are aimed at trips involving creative objectives, significant trip planning, and at least some off-trail travel.
From connecting oceans by bike and canoe to summiting and skiing volcanoes in Chile, last year’s CalTopo Adventure Grant recipients undertook some wild adventures and we couldn’t be more proud to have helped support them (in case you missed them, you can check out all their trip reports here). This year we want to hear from you! What potential adventure has captured your imagination? What trip have you been scheming for the upcoming year?
About the Grant
The CalTopo Adventure Grant aims to support trips with an emphasis on adventure and exploration rather than technical difficulty (although technical objectives are still encouraged). Multiple small grants will be awarded to individuals or teams with trip proposals that best meet the grant criteria.
Grant awards will vary by project- last year’s awards ranged from $350 to $1,200. Awards can be used to help cover travel, gear, and other expenses directly related to the trip. Grant recipients will also receive a complimentary 1-year CalTopo pro account plus a virtual training on how to get the most out of the CalTopo platform with the CalTopo training team.
Application Period
The grant application period opens on March 1, 2023 and runs until March 31, 2023. Applications must be submitted via the online application no later than 11:59 pm MST on March 31st.
Grant recipients will be announced in April after the selection committee has reviewed all applications and made their final decisions.
(Right to left) Rain Felkl and team traveling through the Lyngen Alps, Norway; Niki Choo checking out a shed while biking and canoeing from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean; photo by Miles Knotek of his partner Ben during a traverse of Montague Island, Alaska.
Criteria & Guidelines
Trip proposals will be considered based on exploratory and adventurous nature, complexity of trip planning required, and uniqueness and creativity of the objective. Highlighting how you plan to use CalTopo before and during your trip will help your application stand out. Trips may last one or multiple days. Types of travel may include but are not limited to: backpacking, hiking, mountaineering, long distance trail running, AT skiing/splitboarding, biking, canoeing/kayaking/rafting or alpine climbing. Trip proposals that incorporate more than one mode of travel are encouraged. Commercial or guided trips are ineligible.
All trips must be conducted in an environmentally conscious manner, with care and respect for local communities and wildlife. All trips must be legal and obtain all necessary permits required by local authorities.
Trip must be completed by March 31, 2024.
Each grant applicant and their partners must be at least 18 years of age and complete all liability releases. The applicant and their partners’ overall outdoor experience level must match the proposed objective. Trip proposals can involve amateur or professional athletes who are supported either financially or in-kind, but the support level must be disclosed.
Recipient Responsibilities
Recipients should do their best to practice environmentally low impact and leave no trace ethics, acting as strong mountain stewards.
Within two months of completing the trip, recipients are expected to produce a written trip report that includes photos and/or video for posting on CalTopo’s website and social media. Written reports will ideally be at least 1,000 words in length and summarize the trip from start to finish, including but not limited to: what inspired you to pursue this objective in the first place, trip planning involved (including logistics, route planning and screenshots or links to your CalTopo map), a description of the trip itself, and any lessons learned that could help future parties. Documentation should also specifically highlight how CalTopo was used throughout the trip, including during the trip planning process and in the field. Trip report videos that meet the above criteria can also be submitted in lieu of a written trip report.
Recipients are encouraged to make their trip report come alive with photos, videos and drawings. The more informative, reflective and creative your trip report, the more widely we will be able to share it on CalTopo’s website and social media.
Additional information
If your trip is canceled, rescheduled after March 31, 2024, or significantly altered in some way, please contact the grant manager at info@caltopo.com. If your trip does not occur, all funds must be returned to CalTopo.
Any media of the team or individuals submitted with a trip report may be reproduced in any manner that CalTopo desires. CalTopo reserves the right to use any media submitted with a trip report on the CalTopo website or in marketing materials.
Any questions regarding this grant should be directed to the grants manager at info@caltopo.com.
