I have only been with Gore as a marketing associate for three months and this was a real baptism of fire for me! We arrived at the hut on Wednesday around noon: a lovely six-bedroom wooden chalet in the middle of the mountains, with a modern kitchen, a wood-burning stove, and a well-stocked pantry for the occasion.
Each bedroom had room for between two to four people or five if you squeeze. The chalet was completely self-sufficient in energy and the electricity was produced by a water turbine, which was enough to light us and charge the phones.
However, we had to compromise on cold water showers. On the first day, we took our bearings, the programme presented us with, and the household chores were divided: one team for the kitchen, another for the dishes, and a few early birds to prepare breakfast. It was also an opportunity to get to know my new colleagues, who had come from all over Europe, and even Korea. Although I must admit that living in a refuge and sharing rooms was already a new experience for me and slightly outside my comfort zone , the real adventure took place on the second day.
Up early after a fairly short night for most of us, we were at the foot of a cliff by 8am equipped with ropes, carabines, helmets and harnesses. I'd like to explain here the ease with which I climbed up and then rappelled down the cliff in my new clothes.
The feedback from the climbing team was unanimous: excellent comfort and freedom of movement when climbing and descending. The clothes are also very breathable which prevented us from getting too hot during the effort. Cave exploration was also a first for me, but it was a great experience which I was happy to share with my colleagues. We climbed, walked in the sand, climbed steps, slid down rocks on our bums and the protective clothing proved to be indispensable. I would like to thank our expert guide Pesche for his explanations on the discovery of the cave by a farmer in the last century.
