Daniel Guastavino lives a life of adventure. At Greif he holds the role of regional senior manager at the Rigid Industrial Packaging and Services plant in Tigre, Argentina. For fun, Daniel climbs mountains.
“During an ordinary day at the office, 20 years ago, I starting looking for big achievements,” says Daniel. “This is when I started climbing.”
Daniel and his climbing buddy Diego, recently summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. The mountain is nearly 6,000 meters or 19,000 feet above sea level. It took them six days to get to the top.
“It was an absolutely different culture. There were great views, wildlife and nature,” says Daniel. “The last day to the summit was challenging with strong winds and -22 °C at the top which is absolutely unusual, but it was rewarding.”
Daniel can’t count how many mountains he’s climbed during the past two decades, but there are several between 4,500 and 6,500 meters above sea level. He’s climbed Pisco and Vallunaraju in Peru, Huayna Potosi in Bolivia, and Cerro Plata, Domuyo and San Francisco in Argentina, all near or above 6,000 meters. Mountains of this height can take up to two weeks to summit. Additionally, Daniel is a mountain bike enthusiast, crossing the Andes and riding in the Patagonian Mountains.
“You know yourself and your limits. You push them. You clear your head and you know that almost everything is possible,” says Daniel. “That’s why climbing is rewarding to me.”
Daniel doesn’t plan to hang up his trekking boots anytime soon. His future aspirations include possible trips to Bolivia and Peru.
“They have the most beautiful mountains in the world. They also have unique culture and people,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot, but there is so much more to see.”
Photo: Daniel (in red) and Diego (in yellow) pose at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
