First he took a pill in Ibiza. Now Mike Posner has climbed Mount Everest, for a good cause.
The Detroit artist flexed his adventurer skills by scaling the summit of the world’s highest mountain, and, importantly, making the return journey.
Early Tuesday (June 1), Posner and his team mates Dawa Chirring Sherpa, Jon Kedrowski and Dawa Dorje Sherpa reached the top of the world, posing for snaps and remarking, “That’s what I call a sunrise.”
Posner kept his followers updated on social media. “We are now back at camp 2 but not out of the woods until we descend to base camp tomorrow am. Please keep us in your prayers,” reads his most recent tweet.
The trek was years in the planning, and saw the Grammy-nominated singer devote much of 2020 to intensive high altitude training in Colorado.
Posner is raising money via corporate sponsors and a GoFundMe page for The Detroit Justice Center (DJC), a non-profit law firm working alongside communities to create economic opportunities, transform the justice system, and promote equitable and just cities.
At the time of writing, Posner’s fundraiser had raked in $223,619 of the $250,000 goal.
Speaking ahead of his peak feat, Posner explained, “While my walk across America was about me finding myself, I want my climb to be about others.” He continued, “Before my dad died (in 2017), he was a criminal defense attorney in Detroit for 40 years. I’ve decided to dedicate my climb to the Detroit Justice Center because they’re doing criminal justice reform work in my city that would make my dad beam with joy.”
It’s not the first time Posner has reached a summit. His 2016 hit “I Took a Pill In Ibiza” reached No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, and stayed there four weeks.
Last month, Posner released the new song “Jealousy” (Arista Records) a collaboration with blackbear, written alongside Mat Musto and Justin Bieber and produced by RetroFuture.
Posner isn’t the only musician with a hankering for the Himalayas. In 2017, veteran British DJ Paul Oakenfold performed a set at Everest’s Base Camp, about 17,600 feet above sea level. Oakenfold described his one-off session as the “highest party in the world.”
At its highest point, Mount Everest rises to an elevation of more than 29,000 feet.
