Explorer Spotlight: Katch Silva

Name: Katch Silva | Age: 25 | Location: Long Beach, California

What’s your day job?
I'm a full time photographer. I photograph weddings, portraits and also some outdoor/travel stuff!

What are your favorite things to do outside?
Rock climbing, camping, hiking

What first drew you to the outdoors?
I was born in Colombia and spent my childhood outdoors. I have always been drawn to it!

What’s your favorite hometown adventure? ...and, almost as important, where’s your favorite spot to get a beer after?
Any adventure in Joshua Tree (just two hours from LA) is my favorite. And I usually just do it BYO!

What’s your essential gear that never gets left at home?
A camera! Whether its my cell phone, my mirrorless canon, or my DSLR, I always must have a way to document my adventures!

What’s your favorite trail snack?
Turkey Jerky! YUM.

Any go-to soundtracks when you’re hitting the road?
I have a playlist called "Let's get weird" that plays on shuffle. It has anything from 90s hits to Bob Dylan.

What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened while you were adventuring? And/or, the funniest?
It's not exactly scary but just unexpected. I had to use bear spray on a pack of wild mountain goats that was getting too close to me on a narrow ridge line and a little too aggressive for my comfort!

What are your top destinations for adventure travel?
I just got back from a week in Colorado and fell in love with the entire state. I experienced ice caves, red rock, snow shoeing, peaks, frozen waterfalls, canyons and desert all within just a few hours drive in one week. It was pretty awesome!

What’s on the top of your must-do adventure list right now?
Patagonia and New Zealand are on my top must-go list. Hopefully those happen soon!

Show us your most memorable photo, and tell us about it!
This picture of a mountain goat was taken on a hike in Jewel Basin, Montana and was an important and memorable hike for several reasons: This was my first official "peak" two years ago, the first time I got to photograph wild mountain goats, and also it was a photo taken a few minutes before I had to use bear spray as a warning because they were getting too close and aggressive! I do love photographing mountain goats though. They're such awesome creatures and amazing climbers!

See all of Katch's amazing adventures here.