Portrait of Rami Rasamny, the passionate and generous mountaineer

Record climbs for the benefit of the Lebanese population 

In just 14 hours and 23 minutes, Lebanese climber Rami Rasamny ran from the base of Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) to the summit and back, for a total of 5,895 meters. 

While this feat allowed him to become the fastest Arab to climb the father of peaks on the African continent, his goal was quite different: to raise $5,895 in funds – one dollar per meter climbed – to finance the project of free distribution of cooked meals to victims of the explosion in the port of Beirut and the serious economic and social crisis that the country is experiencing.

“I started my humanitarian commitment already in 2014” relates Rami, “by carrying out two projects for the NGO Himaya and then two others for the benefit of the NGO in Bourj Hammoud. In life, we make choices, and these choices can influence the people around us. Our choices are bigger than ourselves and define who we are. 

A humanitarian collaboration with the association Mission Lebanon 

Organized in collaboration with the humanitarian association Mission Lebanon of which he is one of the founders, this mission was a great victory since it exceeded the initial objectives to raise funds close to 8 000 dollars. And his meter is still running.

“Since October 2019, Lebanon has gone through a series of crises, including the explosion at the port of Beirut, the lockdown due to Covid-19, and an economy in great pain, with the Lebanese suffering the very heavy consequences. I wanted to help my fellow citizens on a personal level by combining my passion for mountains and mountaineering with humanitarian works”, explains Rami. 

An inspiring journey for all sports enthusiasts 

If today, Rami’s determination, mental and courage are undeniable, nothing predestined him to become a great sportsman. 

Indeed, a lawyer by training, a smoker and an excessive drinker, the simple fact of climbing stairs was an ordeal for this 110 kilos man in the past. It wasn’t until 2006 that Rami decided to take his life in hand and accomplish the dreams he had as a child: “conquering the summits, living extraordinary adventures and clearing the trails”.

It was then with determination that he quit smoking and started working out again. Along the way, he founded Life Happens Outdoors (LHO), an association that promotes and organizes outdoor activities.

“Creating this community of great athletes was my way of helping people achieve their conversions, as I did mine, through their own outdoor experiences” he says. 

Yet another challenge for the passionate mountaineer

Rami Rasamny is not at his first exploit. In September 2020, it was the Lebanon Mountain Trail that he had covered, 470 kilometers in only 7 days, 10 hours and 14 minutes. And there again, the goal was humanitarian because this star of the race had managed to raise 14,000 dollars of aid for the Lebanese Red Cross.

And this star does not intend to stop there. Today, Rami Rasamny is already preparing his next expedition with his friend Avedis Kalpakian, also a mountaineer. 

Their crazy project? To climb a summit of more than 8,000 m without the help of oxygen. And it’s the 8,034-meter high Gasherbrum II that they will tackle, a place located in the Pakistani part of the Himalaya range. 

A project supported by all his fans!