Destination: Mountains

Majestic peaks, thin air, unspoiled nature

Most of my life, I’ve been able to see mountains from my deck, and they are the centerpiece of every dream destination for me. My parents were ski bums in their early twenties. To support their outdoor adventures, they ran a small plumbing and heating business – Hot Rod and Yox – in Park City, Utah.

I was born there, and from the time I could walk, my dad took me out on service calls and I played nearby as my mom gave ski lessons at the slopes. At the time, I was more into sledding and building monster snow forts with the help of my dad on his skid-steer loader.

Mountain essentials

• Water (your body needs to produce more red blood cells at high altitude, so you need to drink a lot more than you think)
• Sunscreen (mountain locals know you’re a tourist if your chin and neck are sunburnt; snow is reflective)
• Layers (there is no single perfect jacket for a day in the mountains; bring a lot of light- and medium-weight layers that you can pull on and off during the day)
• Avoid denim and pack an extra pair of socks (the longest day of your life will probably involve wet jeans or socks on a mountain)

That jarring first breath

I love the cold. As a temperature nerd, I like the ability to dial in my comfort with the amount of clothes I’m wearing. Taking that first deep breath of thin, dry, frigid air seems to trigger a fight-or-flight response along with a burst of energy, like when you accidentally make the coffee too strong.

A great day in the mountains

Everyone has their own idea of what makes a great day in the mountains. For me, whether I’m hiking, snowshoeing or skiing, I want to feel I left all I had on the mountain.

I return to a warm space and carefully hang up my socks (there’s nothing worse than wet socks in the morning). After downing a huge plate of pasta with pesto, I might summon a bit of energy for some board games or a cliché-off with my trip mates. Quick, come up with a cliché or you’re out. For example, 'let's circle back to that", "It was a home run", "could you unpack that for me?"

Max Rohr, Building Solutions Marketing and Academy Manager, oversees marketing and customer training for REHAU Americas. He loves to eat carbs and fixate on heating and cooling systems when traveling. Often seen, in a Patagonia jacket with camera in hand, buried in a map.