Team Asha Main Hiking Program 2025 - Asha for Education

Interest form is available now! Click Here

Information session recording link

Information session slides link

The season for Team Asha Main Hiking Program commences now! Instagram | Facebook | Email

Highlights of Team Asha Main Hiking Program
Unleash the adventure seeker inside you, push your boundaries and achieve something extraordinary.
Workshops and Information Sessions
Sessions on everything from equipment and nutrition to navigation.
Volunteer driven
The program is completely driven by volunteers who are passionate about the cause of Asha for Education. All our coords and mentors volunteer their time to make the program successful.
Support A great cause
Team Asha athletes raise funds for Asha for Education, Silicon Valley chapter, which helps support education initiatives for underprivileged children in India.

Choose your own adventure

Backpacking through the stunning Rae Lakes (June 26-29, 2025)

This adventurous 24 miles hike starts at an elevation of 9,200 feet and you will reach the highest elevation at Glen Pass 11,978 feet.

Scenic Yosemite Valley Loop via Hetch Hetchy (July 4-6, 2025)

Experience the tranquility and splendor that Yosemite has to offer a hidden gem, tucked away from the bustling crowds

Follow alongside the Tuolumne River, this 18 miles hike offers uninterrupted views of granite cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and lush forests.

Day Hikes Await in the Colorado Rockies (July 17-20, 2025)

Traverse the iconic landscapes of the Colorado Rockies on thrilling day of 12 miles and marvel at the rugged beauty and stunning vistas that only the Rockies can provide.

Savor the thrill of hiking high altitude peaks (called 14ers), without the need for traditional backpacking.

Information Session

Join our upcoming 1-hour information session on Friday March 14, 2025 at 7:30 pm PST to get the orientation of the details you need via zoom link

The length of Team Asha’s Main Hiking Program is 12 weeks. Our first hike starts on April 5, 2025. We meet weekly on scenic trails to prepare participants from all activity levels. On trails, our mentors will share their interesting backcountry experiences, gear information, and how hiking has become their lifestyle! At the end of training season, you will be well prepared for bagging target hikes of your choice!

Welcome to be a member of the Team Asha Hiking community in the Bay Area and celebrate your achievement off the trail at the end-of-season party on July 27, 2025.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to embrace the call of the wild, push your limits, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Fundraising

Every endurance training program has a target fundraising requirement. Please attend the info session to find out more details. If you are worried about fundraising, we invite you to come to our info session and/or open hikes and talk to our coords and coaches.

All the money raised through this program gets distributed among 20+ NGOs that we work with across India.
Donors like you help us ensure that kids don’t just attend school and they actually learn. We support our project partners in India who have diverse education needs – it could be a supplementary school, school with special needs, vocational training classes or digital education.To give a brief idea of some of our projects:

Deenabandhu Mobile Science Van: School goes to your doorstep!
BeT helps secure a home for an orphan girl child in Kashmir

To learn more about our projects and locations, please visit http://sv.ashanet.org/projects/.

Asha for Education is a 100% transparent and volunteer driven organization. Every single $ you raise is dispersed to our projects. All the coaches train athletes for no cost and in fact many of them fundraise just like any other athlete enrolled in our program.

In 2019, our Team Asha athletes raised ~600K. Asha for Education Silicon Valley chapter dispersed ~500K to 24 projects impacting the lives of 30,000+ children in India. Check out our 2019 annual report here.

Start your fundraising early – this helps in reaching out to more people and raise way more than your minimum target.
Most of the profit companies in the Bay Area do company matching. All your donations can be doubled by applying for company match. Check here if your company has a donation matching program.
Every single hour you volunteer for ANY NGO can be used towards your fundraising through ‘volunteer hour grants’.
Another great way to fundraise is to organize a lunch sale at your workplace or in your friends circle. You also get a chance to explain about various projects Asha supports. Read this article to see how a Alumni raised funds.
Lose your inhibitions – you are asking people to donate for a great cause. It’s important to explain why you are training through Team Asha and how proud your donors should be because they are helping every child in leading a better life!
If you are artsy & crafty, this will be an amazing way to show your talent. You can ask people to donate towards your FR for every item you sell.
General donations to Asha for Education by the athlete in the same fiscal year can be accounted towards FR target. (donations to fundraising campaigns such as Work An Hour, Support A Child etc and events will not be considered).
Tips from our Asha alumni.
Be sure to attend our fundraising clinic to learn more!

I have never raised money for a cause. How do I raise 1000+ dollars?

This is a very valid concern that every new member of Team Asha has. We will help you with ideas, materials, fundraising clinics etc to help you with your fundraising. During every weekend training, your group captain will help you keep on track. Till date, more than 80% of our bikers have raised more than the minimum fundraising targets.

What happens if I am unable to meet my fundraising target?

Team Asha mentors and other Asha volunteers will work with you throughout the program and beyond to help you honor your pledge of raising the target amount. Please see this program as a means of supporting and encouraging the underprivileged children and not simply a training program. Without your fundraising efforts, it would be difficult for Asha to continue supporting these projects. We urge you to do your best to honor your commitment in helping these children. If in the end you still fail to reach the target then you are required to cover the balance by yourself.

Where do the funds I raise go?

Asha for Education is a 100% volunteer driven organization. Asha-SV has a list of projects we support every year. 100% of your donation goes towards the projects because our operating expenses will be covered by the registration fee you pay. If you want to donate to a particular project of your interest, please contact [email protected].

Timeline

Info session & Signup Sheet Open
March 14, 2025 at 7:30 PM PST
Interest Form
Click Here
First Training Hike
April 5, 2025
Fundraising Clinic
TBD
Training Backpacking and Camping
May 31, 2025
Target Hike: Rae Lakes
~7,300 feet elevation gain
June 26-29, 2025
Target Hike: Hetch Hetchy
~4,500 feet elevation gain
July 4-6, 2025
Target Hike: Colorado 14ers
~5,000 feet elevation gain
July 17-20, 2025
End of Season Party
July 27, 2025

Questions?
[email protected]

Highlights of Team Asha Main Hiking Program

Workshops and Information Sessions

Volunteer driven

Support A great cause

Choose your own adventure

Information Session

Fundraising

Timeline

Info session & Signup Sheet Open

Interest Form

First Training Hike

Fundraising Clinic

Training Backpacking and Camping

Target Hike: Rae Lakes

Target Hike: Hetch Hetchy

Target Hike: Colorado 14ers

End of Season Party