Natalie with Garden Cabbage

 

 

 

 

Hi! It’s Natalie. I provide mentorship to outdoor enthusiasts who are ready to break down fears and limitations – because I believe everyone has it in them to be CONFIDENT and COMPETENT in the mountains.

 


I DO THIS BY HELPING YOU…

Feel STRONG inside and out

Let’s come up with a plan to give you the physical fitness to handle your loftiest outdoor goals.  Most of us have only tapped into a small % of our potential- I want to get you feeling STRONG and FABULOUS.

NOURISH peak health

Let’s get down to real nourishment, the kind that leaves you full of energy and power for all day on the trail.  Chances are you are eating most of the right things but missing vital and simple steps to helping you THRIVE. 

Own your KNOWLEDGE

Let’s build a strong foundation of the most essential skills to get you ready for mountain adventures.  Ready to learn how to navigate, handle snow travel, transition to rock climbing or climb your first mountain- I can help you get the SKILLs needed to SUCCEED.

BELIEVE in your gut instinct

Let’s make sure that you can handle an emergency before you ever head into the wilderness.  The best way to make sure nothing bad ever happens to you is to have the mindset and confidence to manage if it did.  Let me help you get PREPARED.


FROM PASSION TO PROFESSION

Long ago I decided I needed to climb mountains- I was no longer happy to walk up them. I desired to combine the complexities of roped climbing and exposure with a grueling hike.  The call of the mountains was strong.  There is nothing quite like the inner knowledge one gains when you put yourself deep in nature.  The need for time in nature and its’ raw beauty is an essential part of all of us.  But I did not know-how.  I had to seek out others with more experience to help.  I had to find mentors.

Over the decades I lost myself to the wilderness. I explored and climbed with a burning need, turning my passion into a profession.  Now I have eclipsed, finding myself in the well-suited role of being the mentor and mountain guide!


IT WASN’T EASY

I still remember my first backpacking class (I was 10!).   Later, when I tried to climb in college, I froze about 50ft up and refused to climb any higher.  I told my first climbing partner I would never lead climb.  I was terrified the first time I traversed a snowy peak because I didn’t know the first thing about snow travel. I point this out because I didn’t inherit some amazing ability to be confident outdoors- I earned it through years of hard work.

I spent two decades working as an outdoor professional.  I worked myself right into the ground with very physical jobs- in the pursuit of growth and experience.  On the outside, I looked fit, but I was pushing through multi-year injuries and tons of digestive discomfort. I had no idea how to fix any of it.

Looking back now, I was making myself work so much harder than I needed to.


WHAT HELPED?

I decided that I had to own my knowledge.  I took skills courses, went back to school for nutrition, and started teaching.  I stopped working twice as hard for ½ the results.  I got efficient.  I started from the inside (my gut health) and worked outwards to nourish my goals.  When time became limited, I focused on training specifically for my goals.  My injuries improved and my performance went up all with less effort and time.

Now I’m a full-time business owner that still manages to crush mountain objectives. Finding this path took me decades, but it shouldn’t have.  That’s why I’m so passionate about sharing what I’ve learned so that you can reach your goals efficiently and get back to that valuable time in nature.


NATALIE’S STREET CRED.

B.A. in Physical Anthropology, Exercise Health Science, and Personal Training- graduating with high honors from U.C. Santa Barbara

Functional Nutritional Therapist Practitioner

Lead instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates,

Hypothermia & Survival Expert (Film industry)

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR)

National Park Service Ranger

Yosemite Search and Rescue Member

US Antarctic Program Mountaineer & Field Safety Coordinator

Outdoor Program & Ropes Course Manager (UCSB)

Black belt in Taekwondo

New Route pioneer on Rock and Ice

14 Months straight in Antarctica (2014-15)

 

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SOME RECENT ADVENTURES

 

GUT-Z (GUTSY) JOURNEY IS THE CULMINATION OF DECADES AS AN OUTDOOR PROFESSIONAL.  NATALIE IS DEDICATED TO SHARING HER EXPERIENCE SO THAT YOU CAN GET TO YOUR OBJECTIVES FASTER, SAFER AND FEELING YOUR BEST.