MAMMUT HAS RICH HERITAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS. WHAT’S YOUR HERITAGE/BACKGROUND?
My name is Coni Flores, I am a professional photographer (The Wanderer Photographer) originally from Chile where there are amazing mountains and nature, Patagonia is my favourite place to visit when I am back home. I currently live in New Zealand which is a paradise for hikers and nature lovers
MAMMUT PRODUCTS ARE TESTED IN THE MOST EXTREME LOCATIONS. WHERE’S THE MOST EXTREME LOCATION YOU’VE BEEN WITH YOUR MAMMUT GEAR?
The Himalayas. My husband and I spent 3 months hiking in Nepal. We got to altitudes above 5,500 mountains. The longest hike took us 26 days. My husband brought his beloved Mammut down jacket that he has owned for more than 10 years now. It kept him warm and cosy in the most extreme conditions.
MAMMUT IS KNOWN FOR QUALITY AND INNOVATION. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE OF MAMMUT GEAR?
I really like the Duncan 24 backpack. It is so comfortable and light and the belt adjusts so well to the hips that you don’t feel any weight on your back and shoulders.
CV-19 HAS FORCED A LOT OF CHANGE ON US. WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN FROM THE CV-19 SITUATION?
Covid-19 has shown us the best and the worst of society, politicians and people in general. It has challenged us individually and as a collective to dramatically change and adapt to a new way of living.
Every country is facing different challenges as a result of their decisions, unfortunately during a world crisis like this, every decision has collateral damage. In some cases this means a more stable economy in exchange for more lives to Covid. In some other cases means healthier people living a normal life but many businesses struggling.
It is important that we understand that we have a huge responsibility as inhabitants of the world, citizens of a country and as community and family members. That whatever we do or do not do will affect others and the planet, that we have a vote that chooses the people who lead us during these hard times, the people who will be in charge of creating plans to protect their people and recover the economy. We need empathetic leaders that care about the well being of the people and our planet, leaders who will try to find a way of recovering the economy in a more sustainable way..
We are in the middle of a world pandemic, and this, like it or not, will affect everyone in different ways. There will be thousands of reasons to complain, and thousands of things that are out of your control. But there is still so much we can do. Be a good citizen, be a good member of your community and family, care about the vulnerable, vote for the people that have similar values to you, and take care of mother earth. We have a huge part to play.
WORDS OF WISDOM?
Nature is the master. If you look carefully you will start finding all the answers in there. When you immerse yourself in nature is like you start understanding the rules of the universe and energy, the balance that is required for everything to exist, for everything to thrive. Cycles, seasons, universal patterns, death and life. Flowers blooming to fall later on, to be reborn again at some point. It is like the “nature” of nature is based on cycles and patterns, to thrive like it always does.
We are nothing without it, we wouldn’t live one week without water, without the warmth of the sun, the oxygen of the plants. We are so dependent on nature and we are so part of it, even if we don’t see it like that anymore. We have separated over the years and we spend most of our lives inside buildings now. Maybe that’s why it has gotten harder to see how important it is to take care of our planet.
I believe that deep down we all carry with us those ancestors that used to sleep outside, that used to see the stars every night before going to sleep, that used to share with their tribes around a bonfire every day, that used to drink water from the rivers and collect and hunt their food. Maybe that’s why so many of us need to get lost in nature to feel found again. We all still have a piece of that man that used to consider nature his home.
