Mitchell Nash
The search
Mitchell is a retail store manager from New Hampshire who spends his days talking to customers and his free time hiking the 4,000-footers back home. He had knocked out about half of them when he saw an ad on Reddit for Capsule Adventures. He needed a break, wanted to leave the country, and was curious if he could handle harder hikes outside the US. The timing felt perfect, like it landed in his lap at exactly the right moment. This trip would be his first time doing group travel, a test to see what he was capable of beyond his solo outdoor adventures.
"I needed a break and I saw an ad on Reddit for it. I looked further into it, and it definitely seemed it was something I wanted to do."
The transformation
The Machu Picchu trek tested Mitchell in ways he had not anticipated. He expected challenging hikes, but the first day's vertical climb destroyed him. Despite hiking regularly back in New Hampshire, the Peruvian mountains demanded something different. Each day pushed him physically, but he kept showing up. The trek became more than just proving he could handle harder trails outside the US. It became a week where he could finally be himself again, surrounded by mountains so tall they blocked out the sky, waking up each morning to trees and fog instead of the retail floor.
"The first day definitely kicked my ass. That was unexpected. I was expecting a vertical. That was a vertical. That killed me.”
The shift
Mitchell typically avoids people outside of work. After talking to customers all day in retail, the last thing he wants is more conversation. But this group felt different from the start. Everyone was already ready to open up about their journeys, talking about where they were on their paths and where they wanted to go. There was no small talk, no useless chatter. He found himself having deep conversations late into the night with his bunkmate Scott, meaningful talks with sober creator Rachel, and connecting with others in ways he had not expected. The sober environment made it easier to interact with everyone instead of clustering with familiar faces.
"Being able to finally be myself again for a week and just relax and talk has been nice. So unexpected was actually being able to talk with people again."
Vivid memories with Capsule Adventures
Looking back, what stands out to Mitchell is the beauty of being outside every single day. Waking up surrounded by mountains so tall they blocked the sky, fog curling around peaks, trees everywhere. It reminded him why he has them tattooed on his body, to keep him connected to nature and who he is as a person.