The best days are mountaineering days
My name is Grit Herden, and I’m an Inside Sales & Customer Service representative who supports the Thermoplastics department at Nordmann Germany.
Making the most of two different worlds
For several years now, I’ve made my home in Berchtesgaden. I used to live in Hamburg, but I moved here because I love mountaineering so much. I had to leave friends and my job at Nordmann to do so, but the latter was only temporary because I started working for Nordmann again immediately after it became possible to work from home! The added flexibility this offers suits my lifestyle very well and gives me great balance between my job and my passion for the mountains. Nonetheless – old friends have not been forgotten and Hamburg is always worth a visit. It just means going north of the Elbe river!
How I see Nordmann
The past nine years have taught me what I have in Nordmann: a company with traditional, Hanseatic values and great family leadership. An employer that delivers in terms of reliability, financial stability, trustworthiness and professionalism, all while showing appreciation and human understanding for its employees. That matters a lot and makes working for Nordmann a big passion – second only to spending time in the mountains!
Grit Herden, Inside Sales & Customer Service | Thermoplastics at Nordmann Germany
Why the mountains?
I inherited my love for mountaineering from my father, who was still climbing at the age of 75. The mountains and I simply belong together. Whenever possible, I’m outdoors – on foot, on a bicycle, on skis or on a climbing pitch. I love sharing my hobby with friends and everyone who wants to come out and have fun on the mountainside! I enjoy the great views, the sunrises and sunsets, the peace and quiet, the relaxing atmosphere. In the mountains, too, I realize how small we are as humans compared to the immense beauty and dangers of nature. Thunderstorms are quick to appear, for example, and atmospheric conditions are not always easy; at 4,000 meters, the air becomes extremely thin.
As a human being, you are only a small cog, but you can still set a lot of things in motion – and also destroy them. Sustainability plays a big role, and we humans have a responsibility in life to respect and protect the outdoors.
Sharing with others
I am a licensed, C-level mountaineering guide for summer tours with the German Alpine Association. In addition to helping children learn to climb, I also like passing my enthusiasm on to others through the trips and tours I offer. It’s wonderful to see children between the ages of four and fourteen developing, getting involved in new things and gaining confidence. At the German Alpine Association, we introduce them to the sport of mountaineering in a playful way and make sure we have a lot of fun together!
I can understand if a person doesn’t want to climb, however. Even I turned around on my first big ascent in the Alps because I was “houschiach”, as the Bavarians say – meaning I was scared of heights! When I got back down into the valley, though, I started to learn rock climbing. It took some courage, but it wasn’t long before I was back up on the mountainside.
Grit’s motto in life
“Nothing is impossible. If you want to live life, you have to take action; just sitting and doing nothing won’t help anything.” You have to be open to new situations, too. I now go about life in a more planned-out way than I used to, and I’ve learned a lot. I’m persistent and I approach my goals at work in the same way as I do mountain peaks. I’m not that easy to shake off. That said, I also come with a dash of playful humor. I’m optimistic, full of pep, and I believe that a day without laughter is a day wasted.
