Friday, January 23rd, 2009.
This is my office.
The big update in my life is that I am now employed. My employer is Diversidad, an active tourism agency. Besides guiding for rock climbing and trekking, I am a porter for one of the refugios. That means that I carry around 20 kilos (SEE 45 pounds) of groceries in my pack up to the refugio.
From Colonia Suiza, Refugio Italia and Laguna Negra are a 14k uphill trek. I expected it to take me 6 hours with the 20 or 30 kilos that I shoved into my Exposure 50 Osprey pack and into the backpack that I attached thereto. Nothing less than delight jumped into my eyes when my clock read that I had arrived to the Refugio vista just short of 3 hours!
I was met inside of Refugio Italia by the workers there (SEE Natalia, Santiago, y Guadalupe). These awesome people gave me juice, a seat, and a nice little bowl of spicy veggies with quinoa to complement the 2-day-old bife de chorizo with sliced tomato that I had lugged up along with the 2 24-packs of soda, cans of fruits, and tubes of cookies that weren't for my lunch! Also, Natalia gave me contact names for some other refugios so that I could complement my current sporadic job with porting for other beautifully located refugios!
This trip I was just cruising to get a fastest-time gauge for future trips up to the refugio for work. I also left late (SEE 12:30) and was afraid I'd have to take out the headlamp for the return trip, missing dinner, etc. Also, Ben and Lindsey, two awesome, groovey climbers from Seattle are visiting us and they were set to return from their 4 days at Frey this very night! So rush I did. I descended in a mere 1 hour and 40 minutes, jogging almost all of it, light as a feather with only the empty packs.
More to come!
Work or Play?
Posted by Unknown at 6:45 AM
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11 comments:
Hey babe.
Congrats Congrats Congrats. I love your office!
Do be careful. The weight will alter your balance if you do ever have a misstep.
I'm glad they give you food when you arrive, too.
Safe trekking.
Love, Mom
PS What do you think when you climb and descend.....?
I will look both ways when trekking trails! The balance is definitely different!
For the ascent I put on my music player and listened to music, mostly just zone-ing out and enjoying the scenery and occasional conversations with other hikers that I passed. Descending I jogged so I didn't put on the could-fall-out-headphones, but just watched my steps and thought about life in Bariloche, movie idea, and whatever came to mind!
Thanks for the note!
so i am a fellow climber, hiker, etc. and having been next to Nate when he arrives home from one of these challenging hikes with tons of weight! the amount of energy he returns with after so physical "exercise" (more like abuse) is truly impressive and infectious! who couldn't love this guy! keep it up nate and once again, congrats on the job!
Can't wait for the movie....!!!
xo,
Mom
haha...thanks for the note, ben! some day we'll do some fast-packing or trekking or hiking together! haha! and who are you kidding? you were pulling dance moves after hiking from Frey!
congrats bro on landing such a cool gig!
I too can contest to N8s infectious energy. I hope I am able to visit sometime soon. I've never seen a better office.
Hey Matt! Thanks for the comment! I hope you can visit, too! In the meantime, I´m trying to expand the list of refugios (or huts with sleeping and cooking facilities) for whom I can lend my porting abilities, thus acquiring more office space! haha. Keep up the good work in Maine!
when i have a job i'll send you photos of my office, or cube, or water cooler, or stapler! heehee. it will be beautiful!
how often do you go to your office?!
n8! life sounds good, keep living it & before you can say "WOW!!" i'll have to try to get myself down there.
Hey Nicky! I look forward to seeing pics of your workdigs and hearing of your whatabouts! I am looking for another job because unfortunately I only get to visit my office once a week if I'm lucky! That's not enough dough for food let alone rent...Ouch!
Hey Darrell! Keep the hammer pounding! Can't wait for you to hit the south! Do you have dates? October next year, is it? Let me know what you're up to, y'hear?!
Yaheard! -word, n8
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