In Episode 97 of the Almost There Adventure Podcast, hosts Saveria Tilden, Jeff Hester, and Jason Fitzpatrick welcome filmmakers, mountain athletes, and community builders Dani Reyes-Acosta and Vanessa Chavarriaga Posada for a powerful conversation about their latest project in the Outlier film series: OUTLIER: Common.
This episode explores friendship, identity, splitboarding and ski mountaineering, big mountain visuals, and—yes—jumping in alpine lakes. Dani and Vanessa share how they found one another in the outdoor community, why representation in mountain sports matters, and how their personal stories helped shape a documentary rooted in belonging, community, and cultural reclamation.
We get into backcountry adventures, filmmaking that uplifts BIPOC creatives, the costs & ethics of outdoor storytelling, and why curiosity might be one of the most radical tools we have in turbulent times.
If you’ve ever felt like an outsider in the outdoor world, this episode is a deep breath of recognition.
Show Notes
Guests
Dani Catalina Reyes-Acosta
- Award-winning advocate, filmmaker & professional splitboard mountaineer
- Founder of the Outlier film series
- Storyteller exploring culture, liberation, and outdoor identity
IG: @notlostjustdiscovering
LinkedIn: Dani Reyes-Acosta
Outlier Film Series: @outlierfilmseries
Vanessa Chavarriaga Posada
- Colombian immigrant, skier & ski mountaineer, trail/ultra runner, writer
- Environmental sociologist focused on the relationship between people & nature
IG: @vanessa_chav
About OUTLIER: Common
Episode Two of the three-part Outlier documentary series
Theme: Community, belonging & common ground in the mountains
Filming locations: British Columbia, Jackson (WY), and Southwest Colorado
Subjects: Dani Reyes-Acosta, Vanessa Chavarriaga Posada, and snow scientist Nina Aragón
Crowdfund link (supports women-led, multicultural filmmaking):
🔗 bit.ly/commoncrowdfunder
Topic Timestamps
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | Intro & welcome – friendship, film, and mountain energy |
| 03:30 | Meet Dani & Vanessa — identity, sport, and outdoor storytelling |
| 6:15 | How Dani & Vanessa met (DMs, Moab camping, and missed connections) |
| 8:45 | Energy, healing, and showing up for community |
| 13:00 | Athletic identities — splitboarding, backcountry skiing, trail running |
| 15:00 | Dani’s back injuries, adapting through running, and still loving the mountains |
| 20:00 | Why OUTLIER exists & the meaning of being an “outlier” |
| 33:43 | Funding filmmaking ethically: Seed & Spark, fair pay, representation |
| 40:08 | Environmental sociology 101 + expanding who belongs outdoors |
| 42:08 | Adventure goals: alpine finishing school, ski mountaineering |
| 55:30 | Gear geekery & the diverse team behind the cameras |
| 58:10 | How to support Outlier: Common + where to find the guests |
Key Quotes
“The energy that we carry is just so incredibly powerful.” — Dani
“There is an entire community of folks of color who are out here.” — Vanessa
“I fundamentally believe that our outdoor journeys open the door to how we engage with the world.” — Dani
“OUTLIER: Common is all about community and all about finding common ground… something that is so essential for just humanity now.” — Vanessa
Links & Resources
Resource Link Outlier Film Series https://outlierfilmseries.com Crowdfund (Seed & Spark) https://givebutter.com/OUTLIERcommon Dani’s Instagram https://instagram.com/notlostjustdiscovering Vanessa’s Instagram https://instagram.com/vanessa_chav Adventure US Women https://adventuruswomen.com The SoCal Hiker https://socalhiker.net The Muir Project https://themuirproject.com
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