Episode 4: Maria Masiar- Crazy story of Escape, Refugee Camps, Communists and climbing Mountains!

Maria has been in the mountains since she could pretty much walk. From the Tatra Mountains to the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest, they've been a constant thread in her life in a journey of discovery spanning the great outdoors and self. Maria has 30 years of mountaineering, skiing downhill and backcountry, climbing, scrambling, and hiking. Beyond her day-to-day job of running design and user experience teams, she volunteers over 500 hours a year for one of the busiest SAR teams in all of North America. She's part of the Alpine Club of Canada and the BCMC (British Columbia Mountaineering Club) where she has taught Women In Mountaineering and Glacier travel courses and talks about snow safety. Beyond that, she's often doing trail work mercilessly cutting down Alders with her favorite silky saw and she once wrote a poem to her favorite Lowa boots. Summary: Maria Masiar shares her incredible journey from escaping communist Czechoslovakia to becoming a dedicated mountaineer and search and rescue volunteer in Canada. She discusses the challenges and consequences of her family's escape, the process of adapting to life in a new country, and her involvement in helping North Korean refugees. Maria also talks about combining her passion for peak bagging with fundraising, her memorable peaks and personal growth, and the importance of mentorship and continuing education in mountaineering. She encourages women to get involved in mountaineering and offers advice for beginners. The conversation covers various topics related to community engagement, online presence, and exclusive content on the website. The host expresses gratitude for the work done by volunteers and encourages listeners to join the community. They also discuss the expansion of their online presence to platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The host highlights the exclusive content available on their website, including merchandise. The conversation concludes with closing remarks and an invitation to explore the mountains. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction and Background (03:17) Escape from Communist Czechoslovakia (06:05) Journey to Canada (08:55) Challenges and Consequences of Escape (10:23) Adapting to Life in Canada (13:34) Finding Purpose in Search and Rescue (14:32) Working at the United Nations (16:57) Helping North Korean Refugees (17:25) Combining Peak Bagging and Fundraising (20:47) Memorable Peaks and Personal Growth (29:34) Getting Involved in Search and Rescue (32:21) Encouraging Women in Mountaineering (35:17) Definition of a Peak Bagger (36:04) Mentors and Building Confidence (39:40) Staying Fit and Other Hobbies (46:11) Favorite Aspects of PNW Peak Baggers (48:48) Advice for Beginners (50:39) Connecting with Maria (51:08) Community Engagement and Volunteering (51:36) Expanding Online Presence (51:59) Exclusive Content on Website (52:28) Closing Remarks to learn more about PNW PeakBaggers, visit our website at: www.pnwpeakbaggers.com