This Mazama, like so many other members, spends as much time as possible in the outdoors. He divides his time recreating and volunteering with the Mazamas, and running his own adventures through his company, Loco Por La Ventura.
He has been instrumental in launching and continuing the Mazamas first all-Latino Basic Climbing Education Program team and a Latino Affinity Group. He aims to introduce as many Latinos as possible to the natural splendors of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Name: Anibal Rocheta
Pronouns: He/ Him/His
Year Joined Mazamas: 2015
Present-day outdoor activities: Mountaineering, rock climbing, bouldering, canyoneering, spelunking, hiking, backpacking, outdoor education.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I lived the first two years of my childhood around the mountains with my grandma, which was my first and memorable connection with nature and the outdoor environment.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I’ve been teaching and being outdoors in my lovely country Venezuela for the last 15 years and then moved to the USA in 2015.
I heard about the Mazamas through google when I came to Portland. At that time, I had no idea how to continue my mountaineering/climbing development. Then I just showed up at the Mazamas’ front desk, and a kind person (btw I don’t remember her name) oriented me on how to move on with my adventurous spirit.
Now I’m part of the process of climbing, volunteering, and teaching the Latino community how to introduce outdoor activities into their lives and learn at the same time with the Mazamas.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Please check referral pages, read a book, and look for people with interests in common. If you are in PDX, please visit the Mazamas and they will help out. Also, if you want to practice Spanish and know about adventure, I have a dedicated website for outdoors (just check out www.locoporlaaventura.com)
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one: I am very inspired by passionate and driven people who help other people to move forward. I admire those who show the safe and enjoyable mountaineering world, especially Ueli Steck. He was a Swiss mountaineer who pushed human limits in many ways. He was a great inspiration to me.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? IG @colinobrady is an account of a local climber who crosses Antarctica solo and also he is a motivational speaker with an awesome emotional history. He is an incredible human being.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? I climbed Mt.Urus Este (Peru) in 2013, and I hope to climb Denali, Aconcagua, and a few wild peaks of the Alaska Range mountains. I also would love to hike the Pacific Crest Trail at some point.