Annual Southern Gentleman® Issue
(Above) Photo Courtesy of Joel Liebert
For some, a mountain is simply a view – for others, it’s a challenge to be conquered. Whether navigating the frigid terrain of Kilimanjaro or standing in awe beneath Everest, every summit demands courage and determination. Here, meet eight local men who are pushing themselves to new heights, testing their endurance, perseverance, and spirit along the way.
By Ali Lemmons
Photography by Anh Bao Tran-Le
(Right) Photos Courtesy of Joel Liebert
(Top Right) Mount Adams, Washington; (Bottom Right) Big Bend National Park
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For Joel Liebert, it’s almost impossible to explain the thrill of mountain climbing to those who haven’t experienced it. “There’s nothing like the feeling of being at high altitude on a mountain, exposed on the edge of a cliff, with your blood pumping as you’re trying to reach the peak,” describes Liebert. “There’s a level of peace I reach in that moment where there is truly nothing else I can be focused on except putting one foot in front of the other. And when that’s rewarded with the experience of standing on the summit? That’s a feeling I haven’t been able to replicate off of a mountain and one that I want to keep chasing.”
While Joel’s mountain climbing journey began just a few years ago when he summited Mount Elbert, Colorado’s tallest mountain, with his father and brother, he quickly took to the sport, summiting Mount Bierstadt in 2023, Longs Peak in 2024, and Mount Adams in 2025.
Though Mount Bierstadt is known for being an “easy” mountain, unexpected snow fields, brutal wind, and freezing temperatures made for a tough and painful challenge. Despite undesirable conditions, the Liebert men persevered.
“My dad and I both shed tears when we made it to the summit,” adds Liebert. “Sharing that moment with him is one of my favorite memories.”
As far as future plans, Washington’s Cascades offer the best alpine mountaineering in the lower 48 states, according to Liebert. After tackling Mount Adams this year, Liebert and his friends plan to follow it up with Mount Baker in 2026 and Mount Rainier soon after.
“When my friends and I caught our first glimpse of Mount Rainier a few years ago, I think we all knew we had to climb it one day,” says Liebert. “It’s a massive challenge both physically and technically, so all of the hikes, backpacking trips, and smaller summits we’ve done since then have been preparation for our future attempt to summit it.”
For those looking to get into the sport, Liebert recommends training with steady-state cardio, packing extra safety gear, tracking the weather, and most importantly, listening to your body.
“If everything is good, ignore the pain and push for the summit,” finishes Liebert. “Remember that pain is temporary – but memories last for a lifetime.”
(Top Right) Photo Courtesy of Matt McLelland & Clay Watson
(Top Right) Grand Teton, Wyoming
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Inspired by a love of mountains and accomplishing great things in the great outdoors, Matt McLelland and Clay Watson completed their first summit together in 2020 when they climbed Grand Teton – the tallest peak in the Teton range at 13,775 feet.
“It was a major accomplishment both mentally and physically for me,” shares Watson. “It was and still is a great feeling when you realize that your training has paid off.”
While standing on top of that peak, McLelland and Watson were inspired to complete what Jackson Hole locals refer to as the “Cathedral Group” – a group of the tallest mountains of the Teton Range, all located in Wyoming.
After summiting Middle Teton and South Teton just a few months ago, the duo has three summits left to complete beginning next summer: Mount Moran, Mount Owen, and Teewinot Mountain, all at upwards of 12,000 feet of elevation.
“While difficult, each can be summited by average people who are in good shape and commit to moderate training,” adds McLelland.
For McLelland, training includes strenuous cardio, such as trail running and mountain biking, while Watson adds on heavy rucking and personal training sessions. In the winters, the duo works on their backcountry skiing skills, and they plan to take basic avalanche training this year.
For those looking to take their hiking beyond casual trails, Watson advises: “Step up your training regimen and attempt some hikes or smaller climbs with exposure. I think most climbers mentally check out. You need to be able to handle the physicality required along with the mental fortitude to push through steepness and exposure to the elements.”
As far as packing for a summit, essentials for the duo include a water bottle, water filter, Garmin inReach, pocket knife, Jelly Bellys, and – if in the Tetons – bear spray. However, what truly carries them to each peak is the fulfillment adventure brings.
“I feel better inside when I’m accomplishing great things outside – especially when I’m with good friends, my wife, or my son. I think everyone needs an epic outdoor bucket list – and checking off the accomplishments is always better when you’re not alone,” finishes McLelland.
(Right) Photos Courtesy of Marty Miller
(Top Right) Mount Whitney, California; (Bottom Right) Granite Peak, Montana
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With over 50 years of adventure under his belt – and 63 separate summits – Marty Miller has been climbing mountains since junior high.
“My dad started taking us backpacking up in the Smokies in the early ‘70s, and it ignited a fire inside me that has kept burning my entire life,” adds Miller.
From his first climb at Chimney Tops in the Smokies to later summits like Mount Rainier, Mount Helen, and Longs Peak, Miller has had many a great adventure. Yet, ascending the Grand Teton at only 18 years old stands out, as it was a journey of epic survival. During the summit push, Miller and his team braved subzero temperatures, technical ice and rock, a blizzard, frostbite, and much more. While the entire team made it to summit – and safely back home – it was an experience like no other.
“When you face death and survive, you come away changed in the way you experience life. Mountaineering is an intoxicating blend of pleasure and risk, of dopamine and adrenaline,” says Miller. “The desire to climb to the top, by the most difficult lines and in the most extreme conditions, drives a man to the razor’s edge where life and death are experienced almost simultaneously. We come away feeling we have cheated death and have lived to tell about it.”
Even with rocky terrain, extreme weather, and dangerous conditions, Miller feels most alive in the mountains.
“I sense an awe and wonder of God and his creation like nowhere else,” shares Miller, “and I find joy in sharing these experiences with others.”
After spending 30 years as an educator, Miller combined his love for the great outdoors and serving others when he began a ministry called Blueprint for Men, with the goal of empowering husbands, fathers, and leaders to live like Jesus.
“An aspect of the ministry is to take men into the wilderness to get away from their hectic life and experience God and his creation in ways I have found deeply meaningful,” says Miller.
As he looks ahead, Miller hopes to complete a Himalayan trek in the near future, with Everest Base Camp or Annapurna at the top of his list.
“I’ve had a wonderful life, and I’m not ready to stop yet!” Miller finishes.
(Right) Photos Courtesy of Jeffrey L. Cohen
(Right) Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Africa
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An avid explorer, Jeffrey L. Cohen has always enjoyed the outdoors – traveling to unique places, climbing mountains, and documenting the adventures on his Holga film camera.
“It gives me the chance to capture the outdoor experience in a different way,” shares Cohen. “Hiking makes me slow down and pay attention to my surroundings, and so does my fixed-settings film camera.”
From summiting Wildrose Peak in Death Valley, California, to a seven-day hiking trip in the Caucasus Mountains in the Republic of Georgia, Cohen has enjoyed many an adventure; however, his most memorable climb occurred in 2015 when he traveled to Tanzania, Africa, to summit Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest point you can get to on Earth with no climbing equipment or climbing skills,” shares Cohen. “It was the most challenging hike I have ever completed. Nothing else has come close.”
Over the course of eight days, Cohen climbed up the 19,431-foot tall mountain, traveling through seven different climate zones and spending much of the trip above the clouds.
“We left camp for the final push to the summit at midnight in the dark and in the cold,” says Cohen. “The guides, who have been up the mountain hundreds of times, were trying to get us to the rim of the volcano for sunrise. It is hard to imagine how slowly we made that climb in half the oxygen we are used to. There is a Swahili expression that describes our pace: ‘Pole, pole,’ which means slowly, slowly. Looking down at the sun coming up through clouds made it worth it.”
The climb up Kilimanjaro required Cohen’s most rigorous training yet, and at the same time, he was also training for his first half-marathon.
“That meant I was running in the morning and climbing over 100 flights of stairs on a stair stepper in the evening,” adds Cohen. “I also went on all-day hikes at state parks or on
a backwoods trail almost every weekend.”
For those preparing for adventures of their own, Cohen advises: “Be realistic about your fitness level and what you can accomplish in daylight. Don’t confuse hiking training with running training and think you can handle any long hike. Serious elevation changes how your body functions.”
(Right) Photos Courtesy of Scott Graham
(Top Right) Mount Hood, Oregon; (Bottom Right) Khumbu Glacier, Everest Base Camp
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Growing up in Europe, Scott Graham and his family often took trips to Switzerland. Watching climbers ascend the jagged peaks was, for young Scott, the equivalent of seeing astronauts explore another world – an experience that inspired his own climbing ambitions.
Decades later, Graham has now summited a number of mountains across the globe, from Mount Whitney in California, the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S., to Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest mountain in the Southern and Western Hemispheres.
In May of 2004, Graham set his sights on his greatest challenge yet: Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth.
At 29,035 feet, Mount Everest requires two to two and a half months to climb.
“It’s hard to describe how difficult it is to do just about everything in the very thin air of Everest,” shares Graham. “Atmospheric pressure at 18,000 feet is half of what it is at sea level. That means that there is half as much oxygen in the air. Everest Base Camp is at about 17,600 feet of elevation, so you have to want it pretty badly to continue the climb.”
And continue Graham did. He and his team left Camp 4 to make the final push to the summit at 11 p.m., climbing single-file throughout the night and making it to the summit 10 hours later.
“There is no ambient light on Everest, so the view of the stars in the night sky was magnificent,” says Graham. “My headlamp quit working several hundred feet above Camp 4, so I was basically climbing by the light of the stars.”
Just below the Balcony at 27,600 feet, Graham and his team saw flashes of lightning from a distant monsoon over India. As the sun rose and the skies brightened, he could even make out the curvature of the Earth over Tibet.
“Probably the most rewarding moment on the Everest expedition was passing out of the Khumbu Icefall and into Base Camp for the final time after having reached the summit. It’s all been downhill since that moment,” says Graham.
While nothing may top Everest, Graham plans to keep climbing in the years to come.
“I’ve always wanted to climb more 8,000-meter peaks in the Himalayas, but I think I have gotten a bit long in the tooth and will have to satisfy myself with lower peaks – probably in the lower 48 of the U.S.”
(Right) Photos Courtesy of Jeffery Wiese & Wes Napier
(Top Right) Jeffery at Yosemite National Park, California; (Bottom Right) Wes at Yosemite National Park, California
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After meeting at a local climbing crag while studying at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), Jeffery Wiese and Wes Napier quickly discovered they made an ideal climbing team. With Wiese’s childhood love for hiking and Napier’s experience in a high-adventure Boy Scout troop, the two have been successfully summitting mountains together for almost 25 years.
“Climbing is a bit unique in the fact that it requires a climbing partner, specifically one you can trust,” says Wiese. “We also shared a common goal of adventure in bigger mountain ranges outside the Southeast. Chattanooga is a great spot to hone your skills and fitness, but the sense of adventure in more remote mountains was a calling for us both.”
That calling has taken them far beyond the crags of Tennessee. From Mount Dickey in Denali National Park to El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, the duo has traveled across the U.S. to explore some of the country’s most breathtaking mountains.
“Because of the full, immersive nature of climbing, it’s like everything else in your life goes silent while you’re out there,” says Napier. “It requires a sole focus and purpose. Everything your mind is on is in the moment, focused on where you’re headed.”
In the weeks and months leading up to each summit, Wiese and Napier focus on training their bodies and minds for the challenges ahead.
“Physically, I typically carry a heavy backpack on local trails, like up the side of Lookout Mountain. I also lift weights, wear a backpack on the stair machine, or go cycling,” says Napier. “Mentally, I typically go on solo backpacking trips to ‘be prepared’ as the Boy Scouts say, and this time alone allows me to get comfortable with being self-sufficient.”
“The beauty of preparing for any trip is getting to be outside even more often to get ready,” adds Wiese.
Even after years of adventures, the duo continues to answer the call of the mountains, always looking toward the next summit.
“I am so grateful to have more than 24 years and hundreds of successful climbs with a lifelong friend and climbing partner in Wes,” finishes Wiese. “Mountaineering and technical alpine ice/rock climbing can be a serious and stressful endeavor. We have managed through all those highs and lows, and we are still planning upcoming trips together!”
