Brody Leven/Adam Clark on South America

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Adam, can you tell us a bit about your camera setup? What did you bring and why? Is there anything you really regret bringing / not bringing?

Do you two plan on doing another trip like this? If so, where are three locations you'd like to explore?

11 years ago

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1337

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First of all, props to everyone involved in making these Digital Features - I can't get over how awesome they are. As a photographer, I found this to be one of the best features yet; the images were all outstanding, from the lifestyle snaps to the action and landscapes captured perfectly in a single frame. Brody, Adam, job well done boys.

I'm fairly certain you would both recommend going on a trip like this. However, how much effort actually went into planning it? How much money usually goes into pulling something of this scale off?

With your experience, is there anything you'd want to emphasize doing/not doing in the preparation or execution stages? Any critical mistakes to avoid or underrated advice to make sure you listen to?

MousseauAdam, can you tell us a bit about your camera setup? What did you bring and why? Is there anything you really regret bringing / not bringing?

I'd like to +1 this question as I'm insanely interested to hear the answer. How did you guys keep stuff charged (if you didn't just bring a royal shit ton of batteries)? What was normally in your pack during big climbs and did it weigh you down at all?

11 years ago

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ShredMasterPlus

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Siick trip, what was the overal cost like? Many down weather days? The camper van was able to handle most roads alright? I have heard a 4wd would be very handy for down there.

11 years ago

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Only a few more hours to get your questions in!

Brody: What career tips do you have for future adventure seekers who want to make a living doing what you do?

Adam: Tough question. What is your favourite photo from that trip and why? What are your three favourite photo of all time, and why?

11 years ago

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.FRY.

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did any events take place that disrupted your trip in any way?

11 years ago

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.Rybak.

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Adam: was it difficult to carry around all of the camera equipment?

Adam & Brody: What day/night of the trip was your favorite/ most memorable? Why?

11 years ago

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travias

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Most people dream about doing something like this but few actually do. Whether it's a "career", money, language barriers, family, or a thousand other excuses, most find a way to justify putting it off just one more year.

Any advice to help people sack up and go for it before they have real obligations holding them back like kids and a mortgage?

11 years ago

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El_Barto.

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If stranded in the Andes would you result to cannibalism to stay alive?

11 years ago

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MousseauAdam, can you tell us a bit about your camera setup? What did you bring and why? Is there anything you really regret bringing / not bringing?

Do you two plan on doing another trip like this? If so, where are three locations you'd like to explore?

Hey Mousseau, I brought a lot of gear because I was shooting photo and video. So I had two Canon 1D Mark III's and a Sony FS700. The Sony was only for Video and we didn't do any hiking with it. I would hike with the two Mark II's and a really small carbon Gitzo tripod. Than I could set the tripod up for photo or video and than shoot photo or video with the other camera. I didn't have to bring the Sony, but it was sure nice for other video shots and really slow motion stuff.

We don't have any plans right now, but I'm sure something will come up!

11 years ago

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Getting really excited to answer these questions. It's awesome to see people with similar mindsets on here. Thanks for hosting this.

Lou.How scary is it starting a long trip with no set plan in mind?

I've started many trips like this because it's fun. And because it requires way less planning. When you live a full life at home, sometimes it's easiest (for me) to just buy a plane ticket, keep living normal life, and then figure out the trip details when you're already on the trip. It's PART of the trip for me. If I had an itinerary lined up before I left, I'd have way less to do when I was on the road.
With that said, it's certainly full of unknowns and potential obstacles and problems. But from my experience, even organized trips tend to have these issues.
Answer: not at all.

11 years ago

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.Rybak.Adam: was it difficult to carry around all of the camera equipment?

Adam & Brody: What day/night of the trip was your favorite/ most memorable? Why?

Hey Rybak, yeah, it was hard. We did a lot of long days, lot's of vertical and I always had two camera's, at least 4 lenses and a tripod. Along with all the usual backcountry ski gear plus food and water for a long day. But the more you do it, the easier it gets. And we were doing it a lot!
Plus the natural hot springs would help ease the pain afterwards

11 years ago

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MousseauAdam, can you tell us a bit about your camera setup? What did you bring and why? Is there anything you really regret bringing / not bringing?

Do you two plan on doing another trip like this? If so, where are three locations you'd like to explore?

Walter.1337First of all, props to everyone involved in making these Digital Features - I can't get over how awesome they are. As a photographer, I found this to be one of the best features yet; the images were all outstanding, from the lifestyle snaps to the action and landscapes captured perfectly in a single frame. Brody, Adam, job well done boys.

I'm fairly certain you would both recommend going on a trip like this. However, how much effort actually went into planning it? How much money usually goes into pulling something of this scale off?

With your experience, is there anything you'd want to emphasize doing/not doing in the preparation or execution stages? Any critical mistakes to avoid or underrated advice to make sure you listen to?

I'd like to +1 this question as I'm insanely interested to hear the answer. How did you guys keep stuff charged (if you didn't just bring a royal shit ton of batteries)? What was normally in your pack during big climbs and did it weigh you down at all?

Thanks! it's really amazing to have my photos featured in this way, it's impossible to print that many pages, so the flipbook is the answer. Stoked you like it!
Charging is always difficult. Camera batteries, computer batteries...so it would be a combination of using the Van and Goal 0 panels. And Always charging! always

11 years ago

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MousseauAdam, can you tell us a bit about your camera setup? What did you bring and why? Is there anything you really regret bringing / not bringing?

Do you two plan on doing another trip like this? If so, where are three locations you'd like to explore?

I brought an iPhone and 2 GoPros. Pretty normal camera setup for me. I forgot the sticky mounts. :-)

Yes, I will continue to always do trips with vast potential for problems, limitless unknown variables, and lots of opportunities for fun. They're the kind of trips I've always been attracted to, and certainly those that I will plan in the future. And by "plan" I mean "buy a plane ticket."
Three locations I'd like to visit are:
-Bolivia
-anywhere that ends with -istan
-Russia
-may I please name 99 more?

11 years ago

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El_Barto.If stranded in the Andes would you result to cannibalism to stay alive?

of course El-Barto, nobody wants to die! luckily we had lots of cookies. Brody is a vegetarian, and he's always doing stuff so there's not much fat on him. I don't know if he would taste very good...

11 years ago

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Lou.How scary is it starting a long trip with no set plan in mind?

Hey Lou, that's kind of the point. It is a little scary, but you get used to it. And than cool stuff happens. So you keep doing it. And than more cool stuff happens. And than you get lost and think, why are we doing this! but than something cool happens again.

11 years ago

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Walter.1337First of all, props to everyone involved in making these Digital Features - I can't get over how awesome they are. As a photographer, I found this to be one of the best features yet; the images were all outstanding, from the lifestyle snaps to the action and landscapes captured perfectly in a single frame. Brody, Adam, job well done boys.

I'm fairly certain you would both recommend going on a trip like this. However, how much effort actually went into planning it? How much money usually goes into pulling something of this scale off?

With your experience, is there anything you'd want to emphasize doing/not doing in the preparation or execution stages? Any critical mistakes to avoid or underrated advice to make sure you listen to?

I'd like to +1 this question as I'm insanely interested to hear the answer. How did you guys keep stuff charged (if you didn't just bring a royal shit ton of batteries)? What was normally in your pack during big climbs and did it weigh you down at all?

Wow, the kind words do not fall upon deaf ears. Thanks so much. It's cool doing a trip like this without knowing if/how/which publication would be interested in it. We were very much doing it for the story, not for ____ or ____ or ____. Our motivation was genuine.

Zero effort went into planning it. The written story didn't lie: I bought the plane ticket 2 weeks in advance, I landed, I met AC the next day, and we sat down to figure out what we were going to do. The only thing we'd discussed is driving all the way south. From past experience, we knew that mountains stretched the length of the country, but we didn't know how far from the main road, IF roads went all the way south, etc.

As for finances, it's easy. It's cheap. I live cheaper when I'm traveling than when I'm home, and that's saying a lot. I save my money to have incredible experiences that I'll never regret, like this one. AC is really good at doing the same. We travel year-round. I think a big part of it is experience. You have to learn how to live inexpensively. How to choose where to sleep, what to forego, want to indulge in, etc. We were willing to do whatever it took to make this happen, but that didn't require a ton of effort or motivation. We just bought the ticket, rented a van, and went. We'd been to South America a lot, and knew that it couldn't get too expensive. Really. This doesn't cost like $15,000 or something ridiculous like that. But it easily could, if you were careless.

We just did, and always do, what feels right. I wouldn't discourage anything at all. But I would definitely encourage setting oneself out with no limitations. I didn't think that we could seriously ski Cerro Creston, in El Chalten, from the road, on my birthday. We didn't know anything about it. But we gave it a shot, and we made it.
Function within your skillset, but give yourself opportunities to expand it.
Don't let money hinder you more than it should.
And, as any traveler will tell you, go with the flow.

11 years ago

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MousseauOnly a few more hours to get your questions in!

Brody: What career tips do you have for future adventure seekers who want to make a living doing what you do?

Adam: Tough question. What is your favourite photo from that trip and why? What are your three favourite photo of all time, and why?

Mousseau, geez, tough question. My favorites from the trip are 1-the cover shot, we really were lost, we went left and the road was totally screwed from a river that decided to run through it, so we came back and went right, it took longer to get where we wanted to from that road. But it got us there!
2-page 23, I love black and white. And it's cool to see the volcano antuco in the background, it was what we skied the day before. The shot is of Brody skiing Sierra Velluda, which was the longest day of the trip for us.
3-pg 59-Brody staring at the massive Fitz Roy, it took us awhile to start skiing, because we were just staring. Usually my favorite photos are the ones I have a personal connection with, a story for me. Not neccecarily what looks the best. I don't have a top three of all-time, it's always changing!

11 years ago

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ShredMasterPlusSiick trip, what was the overal cost like? Many down weather days? The camper van was able to handle most roads alright? I have heard a 4wd would be very handy for down there.

Thanks for the questions. Make sure to read the story and check out the Flipbook, where this is mostly detailed.
Overall cost, I couldn't really tell you. That wasn't the point and wasn't an issue. We knew what we wanted to do, we knew we would live as cheaply as possible, and that we would do whatever it took to make it happen. If it was getting too expensive, we'd start living cheaper. Easy as that. We aren't rich people, but we want to be rich in experiences, and we won't let money stop that.
The weather was unusually exceptional. I don't think anyone else could go to Patagonia and expect what we received.
No, the van did not handle most roads alright, but we made it handle 100% of the roads.
Yes, 4WD would be beyond "handy." As would high ground clearance, an RV, hotels each night, a personal chef, and a dedicated videographer. We don't do things the "handy" way.

11 years ago

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The referenced post has been removed.

Hey SDrvper, I would do it the same way. Living out of the van was critically important. We could fallow the weather and use every minute of every day to help get us to the top of a mountain. So, I would have a plan and than be really good at not going with the plan. At the beginning our only plan was, hey, lets drive from Santiago to Punta Arenas and ski a bunch. So, I guess we did stick with the plan. But day to day we were constantly changing plans. What volcano, how long to spend in one area, and where we should go next.
My only recommendation would be to do it! whatever your into, road trips are the best. Short or long

11 years ago

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adam.clark.167Hey Mousseau, I brought a lot of gear because I was shooting photo and video. So I had two Canon 1D Mark III's and a Sony FS700. The Sony was only for Video and we didn't do any hiking with it. I would hike with the two Mark II's and a really small carbon Gitzo tripod. Than I could set the tripod up for photo or video and than shoot photo or video with the other camera. I didn't have to bring the Sony, but it was sure nice for other video shots and really slow motion stuff.

We don't have any plans right now, but I'm sure something will come up!

Very interesting insight! On a similar note -- do you think it's essential that creative professionals be a jack of all trades these days?

How important is it to possess the skills to write, shoot video, be social, etc? How often do you use these skills when running your business?

11 years ago

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traviasMost people dream about doing something like this but few actually do. Whether it's a "career", money, language barriers, family, or a thousand other excuses, most find a way to justify putting it off just one more year.

Any advice to help people sack up and go for it before they have real obligations holding them back like kids and a mortgage?

Hey Karma, luckily Brody and I get to do this all the time. Sometimes for work, but sometimes personally. This trip was just because we wanted to do it. No sponsor obligations or anybody that agreed to publish it before we left. But I love to shoot, and Brody loves to ski. So we shot every moment anyways and it worked out in the end. So, we simply did what we love to do. it would be harder if we had to take time off work. But still worth it. It's always worth it I would think...

11 years ago

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MousseauOnly a few more hours to get your questions in!

Brody: What career tips do you have for future adventure seekers who want to make a living doing what you do?

Adam: Tough question. What is your favourite photo from that trip and why? What are your three favourite photo of all time, and why?

Oh boy oh boy oh boy, everyone rush!

Career tips? Here's one that isn't applicable to everyone, but I've found to be part of what I do:
I don't set goals. I am a really self-motivated person, and thus know that I'll always be trying my hardest. Setting a goal wouldn't make me try harder. It wouldn't make me achieve more. All it would do is build anxiety, as I watch myself try my hardest for something that may not be achievable, and is relatively arbitrary. As much calculation goes into goal-setting, I think they are always arbitrary to an extent. Instead of working on goal-setting, I would recommend someone works on self-motivation. Because if you know you want something, and you are self-motivated, you'll do whatever it takes to achieve it.

You didn't ask me this, but my answer is easier than AC's. My favorite photo is in front of Fitz Roy. It's a place that I was surprised to actually reach. It was the most awe-inspiring scene I've ever taken in.

11 years ago

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.FRY.did any events take place that disrupted your trip in any way?

Definitely. Check out the written story in the beginning of the article. We were trying to drive to the end of the mainland world. We overcame countless obstacles, but were stopped 2 miles (out of 3500 total miles) from the end of the road. That was pretty funny.

11 years ago

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adam.clark.167Hey Rybak, yeah, it was hard. We did a lot of long days, lot's of vertical and I always had two camera's, at least 4 lenses and a tripod. Along with all the usual backcountry ski gear plus food and water for a long day. But the more you do it, the easier it gets. And we were doing it a lot!
Plus the natural hot springs would help ease the pain afterwards

Is there anything you did to prepare for this trip? What do you do to stay in shape during the off-season?

I tend to spend too much time in from of my desk and often find myself in situation where I'm not physically prepared for what's next -- whether it be a long hike in waist deep pow, or hours of hammering away at ice during an urban shoot.

11 years ago

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.FRY.did any events take place that disrupted your trip in any way?

Brody talks about some of them in the story, but as I recall there was a flat tire, a severe windstorm, we got the van stuck in a creek, it took us awhile to figure out how to put the chains on, 5 or 6 times, we drove to the wrong side of a volcano, we got lost on dirt roads without signs, we had to cross the same argentina/chile border 5 times before they let us through, I was always stopping at gas stations for cookies. Otherwise it went really smooth! The only thing I was worried about was that the van we rented had a billion miles on it and made lots of funny noises. But it was the only one in our budget, so we went for it.

11 years ago

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.Rybak.Adam: was it difficult to carry around all of the camera equipment?

Adam & Brody: What day/night of the trip was your favorite/ most memorable? Why?

NOT WHEN YOU HAVE ME TO LUG ALL YOUR JUNK.
But really, Adam's the most capable photographer there is.

Oh boy. Night? Perhaps the last night on the road, when we were awakened by pounding on the van's door at 4am by a police officer. We'd pulled the van onto an Atlantic beach outside of Punta Arenas, hoping to see penguins in the morning. He just said, in spanish, "are you guys foreigners?" yes. "okay." and that was all.
Day? It's gotta be skiing, on my birthday, October 5th, on one of the coolest lines I've ever skied, in El Chalten.

11 years ago

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The referenced post has been removed.

I'm sure a million things would go differently if we did it again. And as amazing as it was, I wouldn't do it again. It's fun to leave things like this on a high note. The same way it is fun to eat a really small portion of delicious food. It's the law of diminishing returns, right?
However, of course I will continue to do trips in similar style, which I consider a good style.

My main recommendation would be to step a little out of your comfort zone and go for it. Whether that means taking an avalanche education course this year, buying a Eurorail pass and checking out expensive european countries, or flying to Pakistan to ski. Whatever your comfort level is, be willing to expand it a little bit. At least that is what I like to do, and is certainly what has allowed me to do so many wonderful trips around the world.

11 years ago

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Kretzschmar

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What was the scariest/sketchiest situation you got yourselves into during your trip?

11 years ago

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traviasMost people dream about doing something like this but few actually do. Whether it's a "career", money, language barriers, family, or a thousand other excuses, most find a way to justify putting it off just one more year.

Any advice to help people sack up and go for it before they have real obligations holding them back like kids and a mortgage?

Good stuff. I would argue that obligations are no less "real" BEFORE kids and a mortgage. You have an obligation to expand your social circles. You have an obligation to do that mandatory summer reading list. An obligation not to miss soccer practice. And, at the time, those are no less real than an obligation to work to pay your mortgage and stop the basement from flooding.
So, in that way, I think the advice is constant for everyone--regardless of your level of obligation.

Personally, I have a funny way of putting many trips together. It goes like this: I get an idea. I think about it for a few hours. I buy a plane ticket. Then I figure out how feasible it is. In this way, I commit to the idea before I fully hash it out. This is where, again, the self-motivation comes in. If I have the ticket, I KNOW that I can trust myself to do whatever it takes to put the trip together and make it "successful." Without a ticket, there can appear to be too many hurdles.

Language barriers have only made my travels more interesting. I've never let that stop me from visiting any country in the world. But from the comfort of your north american desk chair, it can seem overwhelming. This apples to me, too. I'll be planning a trip from home and be like, Oh my god, this is going to be so hard to get around. Then I get the courage to buy a ticket, and I go.

My family is supportive.

Money is just paper. You can always make more of it. And there is--quite literally--no way I'd rather spend my money than on traveling. I'm as strapped as anyone else, but these experiences are so much more valuable than any stupid thing you can buy at the store. I buy gear and go on trips. Those are my expenses.

Just go now. In most cases, nothing will make it easier in the future than it is right now. And you'll probably only regret waiting.

11 years ago

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El_Barto.If stranded in the Andes would you result to cannibalism to stay alive?

I've been a vegetarian my entire life.
Both on-island and off.

11 years ago

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jugizmo

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Hey Brody and Adam.
Chilean Skier here!.
I was wondering, did te van needed any "upgrades" to make this trip possible or was it good to go rigth from the start ( mostly asking about the beds, and the inner space)??
how much was for the Van, per day?
. i am planning on a similar trip, but in the summer searching for mountainbiking trails ( or chutes o whatever comes in the way that looks fun)

11 years ago

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MousseauIs there anything you did to prepare for this trip? What do you do to stay in shape during the off-season?

I tend to spend too much time in from of my desk and often find myself in situation where I'm not physically prepared for what's next -- whether it be a long hike in waist deep pow, or hours of hammering away at ice during an urban shoot.

AC is really good at juggling what's essential for a photographer of his style. Every day he works in his office, and every day he gets outside.
My job is to be an athlete, thus I work very hard to maintain a high level of fitness. But to be able to do that with all of the camera gear is outstanding.
With out schedules and the last-minute nature of these trips, it's important for us to always be physically prepared.
That, and there is no off-season. :)

11 years ago

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nutz.

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Hey guys!

I'm super stoked on the digital feature, and I'm super curious as to this actually...

The views looked incredible, and the trip looked awesome, but what was the coolest and weirdest thing you saw/did on the trip?

Also... can I come on the next trip?

**This post was edited on Aug 4th 2014 at 1:05:40pm

11 years ago

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KrotchWhat was the scariest/sketchiest situation you got yourselves into during your trip?

Not a whole lot of scary stuff happened.
I fell through a bergschrund and thought I was going to fall until I came out in China, the other side, but that didn't happen. I stopped at my hips.

11 years ago

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jugizmoHey Brody and Adam.
Chilean Skier here!.
I was wondering, did te van needed any "upgrades" to make this trip possible or was it good to go rigth from the start ( mostly asking about the beds, and the inner space)??
how much was for the Van, per day?
. i am planning on a similar trip, but in the summer searching for mountainbiking trails ( or chutes o whatever comes in the way that looks fun)

Sweet! You live in a great country. Thanks for coming across this.
The van didn't NEED any upgrades, no. But it had been modified by the rental agency with a couple of luxuries, such as some pads to sleep on, and some storage space.
I don't recall how much the van cost. You can find them online I'm sure.
Looking for mountain biking would be spectacular...(and much, much warmer). Have a blast!

11 years ago

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PowderMag

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Hey fellas,

Name three items, besides camera gear and skis, that you used on the daily that were integral to daily happiness?

(And thanks for doing this! Fascinating answers thus far...)

11 years ago

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jugizmoHey Brody and Adam.
Chilean Skier here!.
I was wondering, did te van needed any "upgrades" to make this trip possible or was it good to go rigth from the start ( mostly asking about the beds, and the inner space)??
how much was for the Van, per day?
. i am planning on a similar trip, but in the summer searching for mountainbiking trails ( or chutes o whatever comes in the way that looks fun)

Hey Jugizmo, we used Wicked Camper Vans, just google and you will find it. They have some, "interesting" paint jobs. But they get the job done and are already outfitted to sleep and cook in. And by far the best deal for your money

11 years ago

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PowderMagHey fellas,

Name three items, besides camera gear and skis, that you used on the daily that were integral to daily happiness?

(And thanks for doing this! Fascinating answers thus far...)

Ahhh great question!

And let me second your thanks, on behalf of our entire community. Hopefully more members and companies will follow suit and run their own Q&A's!

11 years ago

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NinetyFour

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What kind of a ski, boot, and binding setup did you guys ride through the trip; and did you need to bring any spare gear in anticipation of a ski or binding failure?

11 years ago

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KrotchWhat was the scariest/sketchiest situation you got yourselves into during your trip?

We hiked to the top of Lonqimay, a volcano that sits above a small ski resort. It was a beautiful morning and it had just stormed the night before. We were excited that we found that right side of the mountain and drove up the right road and maybe we would get to ski some pow! which is rare in South America, but even more rare for the time of year we were skiing. Half-way up the Volcano the winds got crazy. At the top we discussed our options of where to ski. Our first choice was too Icey. As we were discussing how the wind was loading the big face right below us we saw the end of huge avalanche coming out of the bottom of the volcano. We were already talking about how we should probably just ski the route we hiked up...check out pages 27-29

11 years ago

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PowderMagHey fellas,

Name three items, besides camera gear and skis, that you used on the daily that were integral to daily happiness?

(And thanks for doing this! Fascinating answers thus far...)

we didn't really get to shower, like, not once. So some clean clothes were nice, but not used every day. Even though our road map was horrible, we still used it every day. I would invest in a much better one next time. And Brody's excellant Spanish skills were used every day. Although not neccecary, it made our interaction with everybody much better. We were able to get to know people more than just pass by or ask for simple directions.

11 years ago

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nutz.Hey guys!

I'm super stoked on the digital feature, and I'm super curious as to this actually...

The views looked incredible, and the trip looked awesome, but what was the coolest and weirdest thing you saw/did on the trip?

Also... can I come on the next trip?

**This post was edited on Aug 4th 2014 at 1:05:40pm

Flamingo's, I had no idea there would be Flamingos....they're so pink!

11 years ago

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NinetyFourWhat kind of a ski, boot, and binding setup did you guys ride through the trip; and did you need to bring any spare gear in anticipation of a ski or binding failure?

light weight was really important on this trip since we were hiking for all of your turns. I was using some 181 Surface Live Life skis, with Dynafit bindings and Scarpa Maestrale boots. I don't think we had any spare parts...we probably should have.

11 years ago

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MousseauVery interesting insight! On a similar note -- do you think it's essential that creative professionals be a jack of all trades these days?

How important is it to possess the skills to write, shoot video, be social, etc? How often do you use these skills when running your business?

I think being a jack of all trades can work for you, just as being really really good at one aspect can work. It's all about doing what love and doing the best you can at it. So no, I don't think it's essential at all. Personally I love shooting photos and video, so I'm going to do both as much as possible. I don't think it's possible to shoot and photos and video at the same time without sacrificing something. Luckily we had a month for this trip so I had lots of time to shoot both. I think the more you can do with social sites and writing, the better it is for your business. But just don't cut into the creative time too much.

11 years ago

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