About Deniz
After graduation I moved to NYC but couldn’t start working because my work visa wasn’t valid till mid July. Since I had some time off, I decided to take a NOLS course. Having applied so late, I didn’t have much to choose from, so I went for the only open course, Alaska Mountaineering. I am not a big fan of the cold, and I'm terrified of heights, but I figured since this was the only course that had an opening, it was meant to be.
I'm a clean freak -- most of my friends think I have OCD, even though I don't -- but we did not shower for a month and somehow I was okay with it. We ice climbed, dug out ice/snow caves, practiced self-arrest and crevasse rescue and traveled about 80 miles all together. We cooked amazingly delicious food and I somehow survived eating only vegan food on the glacier. Our backpacks weighed about 55-60 pounds and even though the trip as a whole seemed impossible to me at first; being out in the wilderness with over half my weight on my back, and on the freezing glacier where I couldn’t feel my fingers or toes, it was actually the most refreshing and motivating experience I've ever had.
Apart from all the dangerous stuff we did, my biggest accomplishment was probably learning how to wipe my butt with snow without falling into a crevasse and learning not to be bothered by not showering and wearing the same clothes for a month. I no longer have a face book account but do have pictures up on www.denizalaska.blogspot.com If you have the time and have saved up money, whether you’re an outdoorsy person or not, you should definitely check out some of the courses they offer (www.nols.edu).