Fernando Natalucci (40 years old, DC Shoes), his brother Nicholas (34, Quiksilver), Christopher Tobal (17, Quiksilver) and Lila Sanz (27, special guest of Roxy) get on the two Ford ships, essential responsible for being able to travel on paths only for experts. Adventure awaits you far from a ski center and its amenities. By their own means they will climb the mountains that practically nobody frequents, much less to slide down at full speed. In this note you will discover the intimacy, the secrets and the teachings of a different snow trip, with anecdotes and testimonies from the protagonists.
Each day begins with a plan that is sometimes modified. The team gets on the vehicles -a Ranger Raptor and a Ranger FX4- and begins scouting for possible spots to slide on the powder snow that has just fallen… The Natalucci brothers, due to their experience and because they are mountain men, carry the singing voice Since they were teenagers they did a double season, they spent the austral winter in the Argentine mountains and the boreal, in the European ones, as Tobal, the youngest of the band, does now. For 15 years, the Natas successfully competed there until they decided to settle here, 10 years ago, devoting themselves more to adventure, to the so-called freeride, to ride free in the mountains, especially in those places rarely frequented by amateur snowboarders.
They, in fact, practice “another sport”. The enjoyment in places where normal people would not even dare to walk is an essential part of this romantic side of snowboarding. Getting to wild places, almost unexplored, generates a special motivation. walk where no one walks, live that unique sensation that is surfing in virgin powder snow and face the obstacles of nature or even some that man invents and they challenge, all far from the snow centers and without means of elevation.
They, either with snowshoes, splits -a kind of skis with sealskin- or directly without anything, climb slopes of deep snow. First it is the effort of hours to then enjoy just minutes, or seconds, of descent. That yes, what enjoyment… In these cases, as never, what costs, worth. The double. These days they chose several virgin spots but, in particular, they dedicated themselves to Cerro El Colorado, in Moquehue.
Fer Natalucci, the oldest, contributed his experience in this sport, in the mountains and on the chosen terrain, in the run-up and during. “Getting to know new places is always beautiful, but there are always doubts as to whether the chosen place will meet the conditions sought. Although I went before to exploit the land, the reality is sometimes different… Luckily the conditions were right: the place received us with a heavy snowfall and then we had sunny days, not easy in the middle of winter. I was lucky enough to get to know many incredible places around the world but this one, I don’t know if it was because of the magic of ancient forests and because not many people visit them, it made it a very special experience. For me and the whole team”analyzed who was the captain of the expedition. “I don’t know if I would hang that tag on myself, but I know that this time I didn’t just go for a walk. I was involved in other things on the tour and to have seen the results that we had, almost everything as planned, is something very gratifying. I thank the whole team, from the athletes, to the image boys (Filmmaker Federico Batán and photographer Julián Lausi) and the logistics staff. He would not have come out like this if each one had not contributed their own ”hill.
Lila, the only woman in the team, gave her version of the experience. “I liked the feeling of team and community that we had, going out on an adventure, in search of something new, feeling virgin nature again and connecting with the present, the essence of snowboarding”, explained Sanz, born and raised in Bariloche who started snowboarding at 10 and today is an instructor, in addition to practicing yoga, trekking and surfing. She also referred to a learning that she had after experiencing an extreme situation when she was trapped between a river and a slope in a canyon, something that took her more than an hour to solve. “It was a confirmation of my strength and inner peace. Something similar had happened to me before but now I was surprised even at myself. I was able to get out and I tried again”, analyzed. Lila ended with a review of her first snowtrip with a team. “I stay with the spirit of pushing the limits a little more, leaving the comfort zone and looking for new challenges, going for dreams, even if sometimes one has tingles and fears”he acknowledged.
At his side, the youngest of the Natalucci He gave his feelings. “What I take away from this trip, despite my experience, is the confirmation of how complicated it is to go to places that you do not know or have so much information about, the setbacks that arise and all the patience and spirit that you need”, said Nico, who was very surprised with the chosen place. “It was more than he expected and the interesting thing is that he has even more potential. We are left wanting to go to other spots”, he analyzed to close with a personal feeling. “I’m leaving very happy because I hadn’t done this for several years and when I relived it I realized how much I missed it. It was one of the times that I enjoyed it the most, especially because I took it in a more relaxed way, without the pressure and responsibility of other trips”he admitted.
Tobal, the youngest of the team, was one of the most enriched by the experience. Born in Lake Tahoe (USA), because his parents lived there until he was 4 years old, he has been part of the Argentine national team since he was 16. His thing is jumps and pirouettes in the parks (he competes in Slopestyle -rail circuits- and Big Air -ramp jumps-), loves competition, but what he experienced on this trip was just the opposite. “It’s another type of concentration, physical exhaustion and another patience is needed. Here you have to walk a lot and I usually do little. I go to the park in a chair and mine is more mental. And here the good thing is that there was no pressure of results. It was like taking a break from the competition”, he analyzed and then dedicated a paragraph to the chosen place and the organization of the trip. “I hadn’t even heard of the place and it was a flash. I can’t believe where we were, the place we stayed (the paradisiacal Domos Lodge) and the snow conditions we had. All spectacular. I was able to adapt, I’m leaving very happy, ”he commented.
This is how a unique snowtrip was lived inside. In a place as beautiful as it is extreme. With exceptional conditions and in places where not even other professionals had come.
Source: Ambito
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