Kyah Rayne Cohen
March 17, 1997 - November 21, 2018
The 2019 Heroes Climb was dedicated to the life and memory of Max's daughter, Kyah Rayne.
Kyah's uniqueness, zest, beauty, brilliance, honesty, integrity, grace, humor, passion & humility are so deeply missed. She was the brightest light. She sought the truth - in all things. She was the greatest teacher to many. Her profound being still inspires everyone that knew her - each and every day.
Forever in our hearts.
Kyah Rayne Foundation
The Kyah Rayne Foundation is dedicated to advancing food allergy awareness and education and increasing Epinephrine Auto-Injector availability to save lives.
Heroes Climb
The successful summit and official naming of Kyah Rayne Peak
In July 2019, 8-months after Kyah's tragic passing, Max, and his son Ace, set out on a “Heroes Climb". This quest took them on an epic journey to officially dedicate and name a previously unclimbed mountain in the "Valley of the Gods" to honor the life of Kyah Rayne. Ten climbers set out on this journey in the Great Himalayan National Park - Himachal Pradesh, India. The trek started in the remote northern Indian village of Kullu. It would take the 10 climbers 9 death-defying days of 12-hour long trekking, through the most adverse and harrowing conditions, to reach the 16,440ft/5,011m summit. The difficulty level of the climb was so intense that 3 of the 10 did not summit. It was treacherous. It was powerful. It was profound. It was cathartic. It was painful, but healing. It was a labor of pure love, dedication, commitment and radical perseverance. The climb was completely unique, celebrated and recorded in the Hindi Times newspaper - with much fanfare. Mountains in the Valley are named only in Hindi. In Hindi, Kyah means Aura changing or life transformational and Rayne means Queen. So, Kyah will forever have a mountain that bears her name on the top of the world. Kyah Rayne Peak - Transformational Life Changing Queen.
Mountain Poem
Because the mountains we climb are not made only of rock and ice, but also of dreams and desire.
The mountains we climb, are mountains of the mind.
Mountains are wild and ungovernable.
This is the source of their danger and also the source of their allure.
And so a longing for the unknown beacons us onwards.
And like echos in a cave, the unknown will answer back with whatever we call into it.
- Max Cohen - July 7, 2019 - Base Camp, Kyah Rayne Peak
