Searching for adventure? Marysville native knows where to look

Published 1:30 am Sunday, May 13, 2018

Everyone has a different definition of the word “adventure.”

For some, that could mean seeing Mount Everest in person. Others might be content exploring a new trail at their favorite park.

Camano Island resident Kyle Bingham sees no difference between the two, so long as you seize the opportunity.

Bingham, a 34-year-old adventure travel company owner, will talk about his own adventures and how others can find them either abroad or in their back yard for Marysville’s Outdoor Adventure Speaker Series May 22 at the Marysville Opera House.

It’s the final monthly talk, which feature local authors, outdoor enthusiasts and naturalists, until the series picks up again in September.

Bingham will weave stories, short videos and pictures together about group trips led by his company, Unavita, to the Cascade Mountains, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, volcanic eruptions in Guatemala and more.

He’ll talk about how each destination comes with its own lessons — like risk vs. reward of certain challenges — and how it relates to personal discovery.

“Maybe adventure is within us and maybe going to these places brings it out,” he said.

Lauren Woodmansee, the recreation coordinator for the city of Marysville, hopes the audience will get an “armchair trip” around the world from his presentation. “His stories, photos and videos should be beautiful,” she said.

Finding adventure has never been much a problem for Bingham, who grew up in Marysville. His dad, John, infused his life with travel and the outdoors, often taking him hiking and backpacking.

Bingham was 9 years old when he climbed to the top of Mount St. Helens for the first time. The higher they went, the more excited he was to check his altimeter, an elevation tracker.

“I think that’s what started the bug,” Bingham said.

He graduated from Marysville Pilchuck High School in 2002 and later earned a fire science degree from Everett Community College.

After a short stint in California, where he met his wife, Sarah, Bingham became a firefighter for the Camano Island Fire Department.

He had a life-changing experience in 2012 when he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with cancer survivors from the Colorado Cancer Association. Their determination and resolve sparked a metaphorical fire inside Bingham.

“I ended up coming back really inspired,” Bingham said.

He founded Unavita later that year, which back then sold only flip flops and other casual footwear. He donated some of the proceeds to education funding for porters — Tanzanians who lead treks to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro — but it wasn’t making the impact he envisioned.

“We we’re trying to stay focused on the good parts,” Bingham said. “It’s really difficult to walk the line between the retail business side of things and being a socially responsible company.”

Unavita means “one life” in Italian. Bingham wanted the company to reflect its deeper meaning.

“You’re on stage in life,” Bingham said. “There’s no guarantee for tomorrow.”

Unavita shifted from shoe manufacturer to a travel company in 2014.

Bingham spent the next year scouting potential destinations, developing itineraries and connecting with tour operators. With the help of his wife, dad and business partner, Dave Baggenstos, Unavita began offering global trips in 2015.

Bingham leads most of the expeditions, while Sarah Bingham and Baggenstos coordinate tours and plan trips.

One of the most popular tours is a five-day trek to an active stratovolcano, built up by alternate layers of lava and ash, in Guatemala. Clients camp at 11,000 feet and watch molten lava erupt from its core.

Others include visiting the Everest Base Camp, the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru and hiking the Patagonia region in South America.

Unavita encourages clients to leave a positive impact in the countries they visit, which Bingham calls “responsible travel.”

Bingham wants the money spent on Unavita trips to stay with the locals who help out their groups. He vigilantly avoids agencies and operators that mislead travelers into thinking they are more ethical than they really are, known as “greenwashing.”

Some trips even offer the opportunity to give back. For example, a tour of Yelapa near Puetro Vallarta in Mexico includes community service work like picking up garbage.

“When we go on a trip, we want to leave footprints for good,” Bingham said.

Bingham hopes his presentation sparks the same passion he felt after his summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. But he also recognizes it’s not always feasible to make trips like that a reality.

“Some people may be inspired to go to some of these places, but physically or financially never will,” Bingham said. “But that doesn’t mean that in some aspect they can’t explore that through the eyes of someone else.”

Evan Thompson: 360-544-2999, ethompson@heraldnet.com or @evanthompson_1.

If you go

Kyle Bingham’s “Finding Adventure” presentation is 6 p.m. May 22 at the Marysville Opera House, 1225 Third St. Cost is $5. Call 360-363-8400 or visit www.marysvillewa.gov.

Learn more about Bingham’s adventure travel company, Unavita, at www.unavitaadventures.com.