Dreams are among humanity’s greatest creations. They may not be real, but that doesn’t stop them from taking root and growing in people’s minds. The most essential difference between a dream and an aspiration is this: an aspiration is merely a pleasant imagining of the future, whereas a dream is the driving force that propels you forward for a lifetime.
To help dreamers realize their outdoor aspirations, inspired by the U.S.-based “Simpton-Tellman Expedition Fund,” the Gore-Tex® brand launched the “Endless Experience – Gore-Tex® Outdoor Dreams Come True” campaign in 2007, providing Chinese outdoor enthusiasts with a more standardized and expansive platform to engage in outdoor activities. The campaign solicited outstanding travel plans online, selected annual champions, and provided them with top-tier Gore-Tex® gear and travel funding support. This initiative ran for seven consecutive years.
Over the seven years, people from all walks of life participated in the campaign and fulfilled their outdoor dreams. Although their initial motivations varied, they came together through the Outdoor Dreams Come True campaign, setting off from the “birthplace” of their dreams toward their “destination.”
2010 group photo of the “Tracing the Snowland Postal Route” team
Luo Yi, nicknamed “Mule Yi” — a moniker referring to his mule-like perseverance. In the outdoor community, the 52-year-old has always been known for “taking the road less traveled.” When he learned about Ni Ma La Mu, a national model postal worker who risked her life delivering an admission notice, survived a landslide, and was injured by falling rocks, yet still insisted on delivering the letter to the student, something compelled Luo Yi to hit the road. As the leader of the 2010 fourth edition of the “Endless Experience – Gore-Tex® Outdoor Dreams Come True” campaign champion team “Tracing the Snowland Postal Route,” Luo Yi led his team members to follow in Ni Ma La Mu’s footsteps through three seasons from summer to winter. He paid tribute to her husband Nong Bu and her successor La Zhui, and delivered stationery and sports equipment to local children. This dream-realizing journey became not only a physical challenge but also a spiritual pilgrimage.
2013: Yin Hongbo’s team hiking through the Yinping Ancient Road, following in the footsteps of their ancestors to uncover historical truths
Yin Hongbo, the leader of the seventh “Endless Experience – Gore-Tex® Outdoor Dreams Come True” campaign hiking category champion team “Hiking the Yinping Ancient Road to Uncover the Mystery of Shu Han’s Fall in the Three Kingdoms,” is a history teacher. Every time he taught his students about how Wei general Deng Ai secretly crossed the Yinping route to attack Shu, they were never satisfied. So he led his team to retrace this “nine-deaths-for-one-life path into Sichuan” and vividly recount everything to his students.
After traversing extremely treacherous sections such as Liupingping, Dengjiaba, and Motianling, Yin Hongbo and his team successfully crossed Nan Tianmen and arrived at Qingxi Town in Guangyuan, Sichuan, becoming the first team to complete the full crossing of the Yinping Ancient Road. This breathtaking journey, rich in natural beauty, history, culture, and environmental awareness, not only opened up an exceptional hiking route for outdoor enthusiasts but also embodied the team’s promise to their students, respect for history, love for nature, and fulfillment of their own outdoor dreams.
2010: The “Return to Yushu” team donates to a tent school
Stories like those of Luo Yi and Yin Hongbo are just a few among many over the seven years of the Outdoor Dreams Come True campaign. In 2008, the leader of the “Exploring the Miao and Dong Ethnic Culture in Southeastern Guizhou” trip, Qu Zhixing, and his team ventured into the ancient and mysterious lands of the Miao and Dong peoples, establishing the first Gore-Tex® brand camp focused on education support and disaster relief; in 2010, Yu Feng’s “Return to Yushu” team supported the reconstruction of Yushu through travel and donated to orphanages and tent schools; in 2012, Deng Xianghui, leader of the “Revitalize Gongga” team, called on more people to protect the outdoor environment by climbing Mount Gongga on foot and cleaning up trash along the way. Each person’s dream may have been different, but all reached their “destination” through outdoor experiences.
The Outdoor Dreams Come True campaign delivers not just realized dreams, but also countless friendships and invaluable experiences. The eighth edition of the campaign will make its fresh debut in March. As in previous years, the Gore-Tex® brand will provide travel funding support to the champion team, and its partners — The North Face®, KOLON SPORT, NORTHLAND, Subaru, BLACK YAK®, and OZARK GEAR — will offer sponsorships.
To enable more outdoor enthusiasts to participate in the campaign, gain the opportunity to realize their dreams, and experience the boundless charm of outdoor sports, since 2011, the campaign has introduced multi-platform entry points. Consumers can apply through platforms other than the official Gore website. In 2014, Gore will collaborate with leading industry websites to establish five application platforms: Sina, 8264, Greenfield, Fenngniao, and iCar. These will not only create broad application channels but also cater to the diverse interests of outdoor lovers, allowing participants to meet others who share their passions on these platforms.
Dream submissions are divided into five categories based on consumer interests: professional mountaineering, wilderness trekking, outdoor hiking, outdoor photography, and outdoor self-driving. Whether you’re a professional outdoor athlete, a seasoned enthusiast, or just a hobbyist, as long as you have an outdoor dream, you can register via the Gore website or any of the five campaign sub-platforms, choose your category, and submit your travel plan.
Notably, the eighth edition introduces a “New Explorers’ Dream Destination” voting segment. For the majority of outdoor enthusiasts who may not be adept at crafting travel plans, simply voting for your desired destination and sharing the origin of your dream gives you a chance to join an eight-person ultimate dream destination team led by a professional mentor, exploring your dream destination and fulfilling your outdoor aspirations. In addition to the main site, users can vote for the “New Explorers’ Dream Destination” on each sub-platform. The selection process for champion plans builds on previous editions’ rules, incorporating mentor recommendations and public voting to shortlist entries, encouraging broader participation.